


Danganronpa ES: The End of Yumenosaki Academy

by quellaa



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dangan Ronpa Fusion, Gen, Lots of Angst, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, btw this is readable even if you haven't seen danganronpa, i apologize in advance for your favs dying, there's never enough good danganronpa aus, yes this has been done before but still
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-04-22 07:42:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 167,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14304009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quellaa/pseuds/quellaa
Summary: The thirty-eight students of Yumenosaki Academy awaken to find that their school has mysteriously been turned into a stranded island in the middle of the ocean, with a talking stuffed animal as their headmaster...and that proves to be the least of their problems.--Ensemble Stars x Danganronpa AU--





	1. 0. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by [Danganstars!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7335202) (110309 words) by [serenlty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenlty). Thank you to the author for giving me this amazing idea!
> 
> I'm sure you've seen this AU before but it's such a great AU that I wanted to try my own take on it, hopefully it'll still be new and exciting. This is my first time posting here so feel free to tell me if I'm doing anything wrong! Please enjoy and comments are greatly appreciated!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He glanced around, seeing everyone finally coming to terms with what was happening. Some of them would really die. This realization sunk deep inside them, so much that even the loudest members of the group fell utterly silent.
> 
> And throughout it all the bear’s voice rang out again.
> 
> “As I said…Kill someone, and then you’ll be able to leave.”

The first thing Anzu became aware of was the light.

There was a blinding light that filled her vision, blocking out recognition of everything else until her mind and sight gradually began to clear. She realized that she was lying inside the Yumenosaki Academy gymnasium, and what had been filling her vision were the lights overhead. She blinked a few times, aware of a dully throbbing pain in her head. When it gradually cleared, she sat up and looked around the room.

Everyone from Yumenosaki’s idol department seemed to be here—she did a quick head count, exactly thirty-seven, plus herself. It appears most of them had just woken up, and were just as confused as Anzu. Why were they here? Anzu panicked a bit when she realized she couldn’t remember anything, no matter how hard she tried. Where were they before they came here?

—Ah, that’s right. The graduation banquet. 

She breathed a sigh of relief when she remembered. To give a final farewell to the third years who were about to leave, the entire school had held a banquet where everyone feasted and joked and bid their senpai good luck. It was hosted at a fancy restaurant outside of the school, and of course Anzu was one of the people who organized it. She remembered leaving presents for all the third years, and remembered being moved to tears when they all decided to give a last performance just for her…And it was there, during the performance, that she felt her vision begin to blur, and then—nothing. 

“H-Hey, Anzu-chan? Um, are you okay?” Someone called out to her. It was Makoto, who had just hurriedly put on his glasses after finding them on the floor next to him. He sounded worried, but it was hard not to be in a situation like this.

Anzu nodded. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not hurt or anything? I think we all blacked out, and that’s scary…”

“It’s all right, Makoto.” Anzu patted herself down, made sure she wasn’t injured, and gave Makoto a cute grin with a wink to reassure him. “Everything’s in fine order.”

Subaru’s voice rang out, to the right of her. “That’s good~! It’s strange enough that we’re here, but it’d be even worse if our precious Producer were hurt! Wait, why is everyone making gloomy faces? We’re idols, we should smile…☆”

He was the only one with enough positivity to smile in a situation like this, but Anzu decided not to say that out loud.

“Does anyone remember anything about coming here?” Hokuto, sitting on her left, addressed the room. He maintained a calmer composure than most of the students, but it was clear that he, like everyone else, had no recollection of how they ended up here. Even Eichi, who has supreme rule over the academy, and Rei, who always seems to know everything that was going on, held expressions of bewilderment. If they were faking it, then it was a level of acting capable of surpassing even Wataru. 

“It has come to my attention that we may have been drugged, and then brought here.” This time it was Keito. He adjusted his glasses before continuing: “Everyone remembers passing out during the graduation banquet, correct?”

There were nods of agreement. An air of unease settled over the room. “Who did this, and what do they want with us? It’s a crime to drug and kidnap people, you know. The bastard who did this needs to get sent to jail.” Izumi crossed his arms in disdain as he said this.

“True! It is a hero’s job to find and eliminate the villain that has done this!” Chiaki’s voice rings out, booming as ever. 

“But…Izumi-chan, why would anyone kidnap us and then take us back to our own school?” Arashi asked, rubbing his cheek with a worried expression. “Maybe an emergency or something happened. Anyway, we should head outside to check.”

No one objected, so Anzu took the lead to stand up and cross to the gym doors, pushing them open. Somehow, it was already daytime outside, and the sunlight that flowed into the room was so warm and bright it didn’t seem real. Anzu frowned. They had been unconscious for at least a night. Had no one come to look for them? This seemed strange. Something was wrong.

She walked outside the gym onto the school field, and as everyone followed, there were a few gasps of surprise, and it wasn’t hard to realize that something was indeed wrong.

“The _ocean_.” Kaoru said from behind her, with a mixed tone of awe, shock, and concern. “It’s right _there_.”

“You have made an intelligent observation, Hakaze-dono,” remarked Souma dryly.

Indeed, beyond the school field was a small area of sandy beach, and then…water. A vast expanse of it, that seemed to go on infinitely. The water seemed to encircle Yumenosaki Academy entirely, turning the school into some sort of island. The sound of crashing waves on the beach and the smell of sea salt would have been soothing if not for the absurdity of it all. Of course, Yumenosaki was originally near the edge of the ocean. But it had never been in the middle of it like this.

“The ‘ocean’ is ‘calming’…” Kanata said with a content expression, seemingly unaffected by their predicament. “We should all ‘bubble, bubble’ in the ‘ocean’…”

“This is ridiculous.” Mao shook his head in disbelief. “It must be a dream, right? There’s no way all of our city could suddenly get drowned, leaving only our school intact.”

“Wahahaha! It’s the aliens!” Leo yelled out. “We’ve been abducted to a strange parallel universe!”

“Is it the same on the other side of the school? Are we trapped? Hold on, I’ll check!” Before anyone could respond, Mitsuru had already dashed off with surprising speed in the direction of the courtyard and the front gates. Arashi, Adonis, Nazuna and a few others ran to follow him, with the rest of the group trailing behind. Sure enough, the water went around the entire academy, essentially trapping them inside. There was no land to be seen, anywhere, in any direction. By the time everyone had gathered around the fountain, the feeling of being stranded was setting in. Hajime clutched at Tomoya, looking terrified. “What’s going on…?”

“Amazing! This is an adventure set in place for all of us…Shall we sit back and enjoy the new twist of destiny laid out in our scripts?” Despite the situation, Wataru still laughed boisterously, flinging a few rose petals out of seemingly nowhere. If he was worried about the situation, he certainly didn’t show it. Alongside him, Kanata and Natsume seemed to be the only ones who were standing back to calmly watch. Anzu shook her head. As expected, it was hard to tell what they were thinking.

Anzu tried reaching into her pocket to find her smartphone—if she could contact one of the teachers, or at least her parents, she could maybe get an idea of their situation. But she realized that her phone was gone. In its place was an electronic device of some sort—it was no bigger than an ID card, and when she pressed the on button, her name and photo flashed onto the screen.

“Um, does anyone know what this is…?” she asked.

“What is it?”

“Lemme see!” 

Among the students clamoring to see what she had, and a few fishing in their own pockets to find theirs, a voice rang out from above her—a cheeky, obnoxious, discordant voice she had certainly never heard before.

“That’s your electronic student ID card! All of you lot have one!”

Everyone whirled to look for the origin of the voice, which appeared to be…a small…stuffed…bear. Standing on the top of the fountain as if it had appeared from nowhere.

For what looked like a stuffed animal, it had a rather repelling appearance. It was colored half sparkling gold and half a dull blood red. As if that wasn’t enough, its left eye was shaped like a star, while its right eye was a thin sliver that looked like a demon’s. Its shape was cute enough, but somehow everything about this bear reeked of malice.

“Uhm?” Anzu managed, not quite comprehending what she saw.

“Good morning, you lot! I’m sure you all have a lot of questions to ask right now—but don’t worry, your new headmaster Kirakuma will tell you everything you need!”

No doubt about it, the bear is talking. 

“The stuffed toy is talking…” Nazuna said, frowning. “This isn’t another one of your eccentricities, is it, Itsuki?”

Several pairs of eyes turned to Shu, standing at the far edge of the crowd, because the talking toy just reminded them too much of a certain doll that he always carried. Shu bristled when he felt the attention on him.

“Non! Such a distasteful piece of junk could not possibly be created by my hands. I am insulted that you would even think that. However, if it were a crude emulation done by Kagehira, I would not put it past him.”

“Nnah, it wasn’t me, Oshi-san,” Mika spoke up from next to Shu, eyeing the bear suspiciously. “It’s scary an’ cute, but it gives me the shivers somehow…”

“Hey!” Everyone whirled back to the bear, who seemed to be quite angry. “It’s not good manners to ignore your headmaster! I’m not a toy, either. I am the one and only Kirakuma!”

“Umm, excuse me, Kirakuma…san?” Hajime asked, polite as he always was, even addressing a stuffed bear. “You said that you’re the headmaster? I don’t quite understand what that means…”

“It means exactly what it sounds like!” The bear put on a smug expression. “I am in charge of you lot now, from the beginning of this excursion to the end! As you can see, I’ve been designed with idols in mind!” It wiggled its body, flashing its sparkly golden color. No one was impressed.

“Hey, you bastard! So you’re the one behind all this? What’s this all about? Why is our school suddenly a fucking island in the middle of nowhere? Answer me or I’ll smash the stuffing out of you!” Koga was already gritting his teeth, seemingly ready to lunge at the small bear like a wolf. Anzu tugged on his sleeve, trying to pull him back. The bear looked harmless, but Koga could end up hurting himself if he lashed out at it.

“I was just getting there!” The bear looked pleased with itself. “Students of the idol department at Yumenosaki Academy…You have all been invited to a game of Mutual Killing! The rules are simple. Kill someone, and ensure no one figures out you’re the culprit. Only then can you leave, and the rest of you…”—it turns, with a menacing glint in its eye that caused Anzu to draw back—“will die.”

There was silence for a few deafening seconds. Then the crowd erupted with noise, shouts and yells of shock and disbelief.

“The fuck do you mean by that, bastard?!” Koga.

“You’re asking us to become murderers?” Tetora.

“That’s too cruel! I don’t want to diiiie!” Hinata and Yuuta, in unison.

“Silence, everyone, please.” The voice wasn’t loud, but it rang out with a strong and clear authority, and almost immediately the noise within the group dimmed. The person that had spoken was Eichi, who showed no display of emotion as he calmly continued with a smile, addressing the bear. “I’m sorry, can you explain the situation in some more detail? You can’t possibly mean for us to kill amongst ourselves?” 

“That’s exactly what I mean,” the bear said with a devious grin. “It doesn’t matter how—stabbing, smashing, choking, hanging, burning, drowning—anything goes! None of you will get to leave until you kill another person. After a body has been discovered, you will be given some time to investigate, and then a Class Trial will be held where you try to figure out who the murderer is. If you guess correctly, the murderer will be executed. But if you guess incorrectly, the murderer can leave, while everyone else is executed! How exciting is that?!” The bear put its paws to its belly and cackled a chilling laugh that certainly did not befit its appearance. Everything fell silent but for the faint sound of the waves.

Anzu breathed in, and then out. She tried to stop herself from trembling. She didn’t want to believe anything she was hearing, but there was still a question she wanted to ask.

“Why us? Why the students of Yumenosaki Academy?”

“Hm? Because isn’t it just a treat to see these idols, who should be representing hope and happiness, struggle against the doom of despair?” The bear cackled again. “Absolutely riveting! I wouldn’t miss this show for a second.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kaoru called out, waving his hands and wearing an uneasy smile. “I get it now. This is a reality program, isn’t it? You’re putting us idols onto this strange set under a weird set of game rules to film what we’ll do. I saw cameras everywhere, that’s what they’re for, right? It has entertainment value, I get it. But honestly, isn’t this going a little overboard? It’s not like we’re actually going to kill anyone…”

There were nods and murmurs of agreement, and a few sighs of relief. But the relief was short-lived, fading away as the bear spoke again.

“That is incorrect! The security cameras are there for yours truly to watch over your every move and ensure you are all playing by the rules. If you look in your ID card, you’ll see a list of the rules. Be sure to abide by them, or else you may be executed! This isn’t one of your TV shows, you lot. This isn’t the entertainment industry. No—it’s far more menacing than that! Fight for your lives, little idols!” Anzu had to look away. She feared that bear’s taunting grin would be imprinted in her mind for life.

“To hell with that bullshit! I’ll wipe that smirk off your face right now!” Koga snarled, clearly at his limit of endurance. “What do you mean, you’re going to kill us, or make us kill each other? You think we’re gonna listen to you? There’s more than thirty of us! You aren’t gonna make us murderers through this crazy game of yours—I’ll show ya!”

Try as she might, Anzu couldn’t prevent Koga from breaking free of her grip and lunging toward the bear on the fountain. “Wait!” she cried out, but Koga didn’t listen.

Rei was rushing forward, trying to apprehend his junior before he did something rash, while there were a few other students cheering Koga on, telling him to get rid of the demonic toy. Koga pushed Rei aside just as he was about to grab him, and stepped onto the ledge of the fountain to give the bear a good flying punch—it landed a good distance away on the hard ground.

“Ha! Nothing but a shitty toy!”

As Koga marched over towards where the bear had landed, intending to smash it into pieces, it sat up looking none the worse for wear—and a whole lot angrier.

“Rule Number One: Violence against the headmaster is _PROHIBITED!_ ”

The bear’s voice was followed by an ominous rumbling coming from somewhere underground. Anzu felt her stomach clench. She was struck by a bad feeling, a really bad feeling, and if she didn’t do something immediately—

“Doggie!” Rei yelled, with an urgency she had never heard before, from just behind her. “Move away from there!”

“Hah?” Koga turned slightly, barely registering his voice.

Anzu moved before she could think. She ran and hit Koga with a flying tackle, with her entire body strength—which was stronger than it appeared to be. The grey-haired boy let out a yelp, clearly surprised, as he was knocked face-first onto the ground a few feet away. Anzu took that split second to grin— _after a year, this is finally payback for what you did to me on my first day of school._ And then she hit the ground hard, exactly where Koga had just been standing.

And six razor-sharp spikes burst out from the cement ground beneath her, impaling every part of her body until it was nothing but a bloody mess.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment as everyone tried to register what had happened. And then all pandemonium broke out.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Koga couldn’t tell if that was someone else screaming, or himself—someone had just died in front of them, and not just someone, it was their producer, who cared for every one of them, who always worked so hard for them, who had given them more than they could ever repay in their lifetimes—and she had sacrificed herself to save Koga. He felt nauseous, he wanted to wake up from this terrible dream—but the bloodied corpse in front of him was all too real.

The students were panicking. Some covered their eyes and turned away, unable to bear the sight of Anzu’s tattered corpse. Others were rushing forward madly to check on her. Being the closest, Koga scrambled there first. The spikes that had just punctured her had already retracted back into the ground, leaving six gaping holes that were too agonizing to look at. He put a hand on her shoulders and shook her, hoping that she had at least a little bit of breath left. But there was no hope. Their producer was, without a doubt, dead.

“I’m sorry…” he held her hand against his. “I’m so sorry…Anzu…Damn it, why did you have to die?!”

The chaos was interrupted by the cheeky voice of the bear that they had all gotten much too familiar with. “Quiet, you lot! If you don’t get used to seeing your friends dying, you won’t last very long in this game…Ehehe!”

Koga looked up. Amidst everything the bear had somehow escaped and was now sitting on a tree above him. What’s more, one of the bear’s paws had transformed into a lethal-looking blade, and it was positioned directly on top of him, as he bent over Anzu. He spat at the bear. “You sick bastard!”

“I’d be cautious with your words if I were you!” The bear cackled. “Thanks to your friend’s heroic sacrifice here, you’ve escaped your punishment. But if you annoy me, I’ll go on and give you the punishment you deserve, you know?” 

As much as he wanted to pulverize that monster, Koga kept his mouth shut. He dared not fight with the blade suspended above him.

He glanced around, seeing everyone finally coming to terms with what was happening. Some of them would really die. This realization sunk deep inside them, so much that even the loudest members of the group fell utterly silent.

And throughout it all the bear’s voice rang out again. 

“As I said…Kill someone, and then you’ll be able to leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Kirakuma: kira = sparkle, kuma = bear, for those of you who didn't get it
> 
> I swear I didn't kill Anzu because I'm an Anzu hater; I felt it fitted the plot best if the first to die was someone everyone liked, it acts as a motivator! Anyway, have fun guessing at the deaths to come, heheh
> 
> Thanks for joining me in hell and comments are greatly appreciated. I plan to update once per week if I can!


	2. 1.1 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were supposed to be always together, two idols in one, each the other’s best partner. Now they were utterly separated, filled with conflict, uncertainty, and resentment, and at odds with each other—just like what all the students at Yumenosaki Academy had inevitably become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting here I'll be writing from one character's perspective at a time. There won't be any specific "main character" and I'll try to give everyone a balanced amount of screen time throughout the work.
> 
> I'm still working on my characterization though, so please tell me if anything seems off, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks and enjoy!

“Oh, one more thing,” the bear added with a nonchalant smile, as if it had just remembered. “How could I have forgotten?”

“This doesn’t sound good,” Mao whispered to Ritsu. “What else could there be?”

“Because I’m a very generous bear, I’ve prepared a special bonus for the first person who manages to kill someone! This is a one-time offer, so listen closely, you lot.”

“The first person to commit murder has the option to _bring one person of their choice out with them_ , should they earn the opportunity to escape after the Class Trial! Simply by killing one person, you can save yourself and someone close to you as well! You’d do well to take this chance fast, you lot, because it only applies to the _first murder_ , and the offer will expire after a time limit of _48 hours_ , which shall be 10:00 AM two days from now. Call it a ‘first-time bonus’ of sorts!” The bear laughed its wicked laugh again. “Now, that’s all I have to say. Good luck on your adventure of mutual killing!”

Before anyone could respond, the bear waved its paw and seemed to disappear into thin air.

Among the noise of the crowd discussing this new twist, Mao felt the familiar weight of Ritsu leaning on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Maa-kun. I won’t let anyone kill you,” he whispered in Mao’s ear.

The self-proclaimed vampire’s voice sounded more serious and alert than usual. Mao shuddered a little, still shaken from everything that had happened. “You’re not thinking of killing anyone else, are you, Ritsu…?” he asked nervously.

“I wonder…” mumbled Ritsu thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t do it otherwise, but if the ‘first-time bonus’ means I can bring Maa-kun out with me…I might try.” His eyes narrowed.

“You can’t!” Mao gasped. “There’s got to be some other way out of this…Don’t kill anyone before we know anything about the situation, okay?”

Ritsu nodded. “You’re right. A strategy is important…”

They were interrupted by a loud wailing that rang out through the courtyard. It wasn’t hard to tell that the voice was Subaru’s. He was crouched over Anzu’s corpse, holding her in his arms and crying.

“Anzuuuuu! What are we going to do without you?!”

It was heartbreaking to see the orange-haired boy, who was normally so happy and energetic, break down over their dead friend like this. Of course, even though Anzu was “everyone’s Producer”, and had ties with nearly every student in Yumenosaki’s idol department, she had always been closest to Trickstar. Not to mention, she was in Subaru’s class as well, so they saw each other nearly every day. It was probably too much for him to bear. Mao saw Hokuto at Subaru’s side, trying to console him, but barely holding back his own tears at the sight of Anzu’s corpse.

Mao felt obligated to join them. He might not have been as close with Anzu as they were, but they had worked together on countless days nonetheless. He felt greatly indebted to Anzu, and it made him determined to get back at whoever was controlling that bear, and give them the punishment they deserve. Plus, it seems he wasn’t the only one who was thinking this. Everyone was gathering around the deceased producer’s body in silent mourning. Several were wiping away tears. But many shared a look of determination, and hatred.

“This is just unacceptable,” Kaoru shook his head as he spoke. “At least I thought this was a little better because Anzu-chan was here…I won’t ever forgive the guy that does this to a girl. She did nothing wrong!”

For once, no one chastised him for his comments. Kuro lowered his head in anguished pain. “I regret that I wasn’t there to save the little miss from this when I could…that should have been the duty of strong guys like me.”

“Umm, guys.” Tomoya spoke hesitantly. “Maybe we should take a look at the rules, just to…you know…make sure this never happens again.”

“Yes, we should.” Mao agreed immediately, quite surprised that the first year could still hold himself together so well in this situation. That’s right—they aren’t first years anymore, are they? If they hadn’t been dragged into this killing game, they’d be second years awfully soon. Perhaps they had become more reliable than he thought.

He took out his electronic student ID from his pocket and pressed a button that said “Rules”. There was a list of 16 in total.

  1. Violence of any kind towards the headmaster is strictly prohibited.
  2. Intentionally breaking or tampering with the security cameras is prohibited.
  3. Students are allowed to explore freely about the campus. However, leaving the campus at any time is strictly prohibited.
  4. After a body is discovered, a class trial will be conducted. Participating in the class trial is mandatory for all students.
  5. If the killer is correctly identified during the class trial, the killer will be executed. Only one killer may be executed each time, so accomplices will not be executed.
  6. If the killer is not correctly identified, all other students will be executed, and the killer will be able to leave the academy.
  7. If a killer does not win the game, the game continues until there are only two living students left.
  8. Meals will be served at the cafeteria. Students are allowed to cook their own food if they so wish.
  9. Students are assigned to paired dorms. The electronic student ID acts as a room key; it will not open the door of any room you are not allocated to.
  10. “Nighttime” occurs from 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM. During this time, all classrooms, the gymnasium, and the auditorium shall be emptied and locked. This does not apply to clubrooms, the library, the infirmary, or the cafeteria.
  11. A body discovery announcement will play when two or more students discover a body.
  12. To prevent mass murder, one killer may only murder up to two people.
  13. If multiple killers commit multiple murders over a short range of time, the murder that is committed first will be the only one discussed in the trial.
  14. Students who violate school rules will be inexcusably punished.
  15. The headmaster does not guarantee that students will not die from reasons other than murder or punishment.
  16. The headmaster may add additional regulations to this list at any time.



Just seeing this set of rules made the future seem grim. Mao tried to stay positive, but several of these, like #15, really worried him.

“Ahem.” Tsukasa spoke up while still scrolling through the list of rules. “It says that we will be living in dorms…But if I remember correctly, Yumenosaki Academy doesn’t have dorms, does it?”

“I would suppose that it is the new building over there,” Yuzuru pointed. “I’ve been curious for quite some time now regarding what purpose it may serve.” He was indicating an area on the southeast side of the school campus, near the front gates, where sure enough, a building had sprung up out of nowhere. It had three floors and was situated directly across from the auditorium. One could only infer that it’s the new dormitory building.

“HaHa~♪ Sora has never slept in a school dorm before! Can we go check it out?” The youngest member of Switch was jumping up and down energetically. Mao envied people with that kind of energy. He felt ready to collapse already from what had happened this morning.

As everyone made their way over to the dorm building, Ritsu was giving everything around them a suspicious stare. “Maa-kun. How long do you think we were out for, for them to build a new building in the academy like that? Not to mention the water…Vampires and water don’t mix, so I don’t like it.”

“I’m clueless, too, Ritsu.” Mao shook his head. “Maybe this is a replica of the school that they’d prepared beforehand on a stranded island. Either way, for them to kidnap this many people, and set up a killing game like this…There’s got to be some powerful organization behind this.”

They reached the dorm building and stepped inside. It wasn’t hard for Mao to locate his room, situated in the middle of the first floor. The rooms were labelled with names, as well as small photos to accompany the names. To his surprise, he was roomed with Ritsu. This meant he would have to be Ritsu’s babysitter again—but he had grown used to it. In fact, he probably would have been more worried if Ritsu was in another room. A glance at the rooms around him revealed that to their left was a room labelled “Akehoshi & Hidaka”—Subaru and Hokuto. The room to their right was labelled “Sakuma & Oogami”, while directly across from them was a room labelled “Nagumo & Sengoku”. Mao counted a total of ten rooms on this floor, meaning there were probably more upstairs.

Mao swiped his student ID on the sensor, and the door opened. He stepped inside and Ritsu followed him, collapsing almost immediately on one of the beds, muttering something about being too tired to think right now. Mao smiled a little. For a moment, it felt like things were normal again.

The clock on the nightstand read 10:48 AM. Mao settled into his own bed, noting with pleasant surprise that whoever prepared the room had brought in a stack of his favorite manga, too. Maybe he could drown himself in the world of fantasy for a little bit, and then catch a quick nap…Ritsu certainly wasn’t the only one allured by the soft sheets. However, he had barely any time to relax before this brief moment of peace was destroyed by a loud banging on the door.

“Isara! You in there?”

“Hold on, just a sec…”

Mao hopped out of bed, and swung the door open. He wasn’t surprised to see Chiaki standing outside, a glowing smile on his face. “What is it, Buchou?”

“I’ve decided to call all students to a group meeting during lunch in the cafeteria! I think it’s important that we all come up with a way to counter the forces of evil and get out of this situation. We’ll be discussing during the meeting at 12 o’clock sharp! Can I count on you to come, Isara?”

“Sure,” Mao replied. It was a good idea to get everyone working together. “I’ll be there.”

“Great!” Chiaki clapped Mao on the shoulder, making him jump a little. “Make sure you tell your friend, too. Don’t be late!”

And with that he was off banging on the next door. Mao sighed and closed the door, glad that someone was taking charge to do something. They’d need all the help they could get. Mao had only just turned around when he realized Ritsu was sitting up on his bed, staring at him. So he wasn’t asleep after all.

“Ritsu…?”

“Next time, don’t open the door so easily like that.” Ritsu glared at him.

“What do you mean?”

“What if you opened the door and somebody attacked you? What if I was really asleep and I couldn’t save you? It could have been a trap, Maa-kun. We’re in a game where you could get killed. You have to be careful. Promise me you’ll be more careful next time, okay?” His eyes were that of genuine worry and concern.

Mao wavered in unease. “Ritsu, I’m sure that no one would ever think to kill us…”

“You can’t be sure!”

Ritsu’s voice lowered to barely more than a whisper. “Even I can’t be sure I won’t do something, if it’s for Maa-kun.”

Mao stared at his childhood friend, who had his head down. He knew when Ritsu was being serious. And when he was serious, he was usually right.

“A-All right, Ritchan. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Ritsu didn’t move.

“I promise, okay?”

Ritsu nodded, and then did something that completely took Mao by surprise. He got up, and without a word, hugged Mao tightly.

“I don’t want you to die, Maa-kun.”

Mao hugged him back. “I won’t, Ritchan. I won’t.”

 

\--

 

When Hinata and Yuuta arrived together in the cafeteria, it was a few minutes before twelve. Most of the students were already assembled and sat in small groups, talking with each other over their meal. The atmosphere had brightened slightly since they first woke up on the island; Hinata could hear laughs and banter like how it normally was in Yumenosaki. It put a smile on his face, too. Surely, it was his job to cheer up everyone else with that signature 2wink positivity.

“Come on, Yuuta-kun! I wonder what they’re serving for lunch? If they had something sweet _and_ something spicy, that would be great! You know, they’re surprisingly considerate. They left a piece of cake and some chili sauce in our room, so they know us pretty well! Heheh ☆”

“…Aniki.”

Well, maybe not the positivity he wanted. Ever since they had arrived here, Yuuta had been in unusually downcast mood. It was understandable, of course. But Hinata couldn’t stand seeing his little brother like that.

“Smile, Yuuta-kun, smile!” He tried to pinch Yuuta’s cheeks and turn the edges of his mouth upwards, but Yuuta batted him aside. He frowned at his older brother.

“Aniki, let’s just sit down. You’re being a bother to everyone else here.”

“Hm~ All right, then.” He followed Yuuta to the counter, where they grabbed a lunch—it was a mystery who had prepared it—and then sat down at a table where Mitsuru, Tsukasa, and Sora where already seated.

“Hello~” Hinata greeted their fellow first-years cheerily. “Good to see everyone’s still alive and well!”

“Aniki!” Yuuta nudged his brother in annoyance. “Stop it. These kinds of jokes aren’t funny, okay?”

“It’s all right!” Mitsuru laughed. “Nii-chan promised us that no one’s going to die, and I trust him, so you don’t have to worry, yanno~!”

As they dug into their lunch, chatting lightheartedly, the few remaining students arrived in the cafeteria. There was Yuzuru with a pouting Tori by his side; Leo who wandered in like he was lost again; and finally, Mao dragging a very sleepy Ritsu along with him. Once everyone was here, Chiaki stood up and banged his spoon loudly on a glass, drawing all eyes to him.

“Attention everyone! Thank you for coming today! My Ryusei and I have talked extensively about the situation we are in. We’ve come to the conclusion that right now, a sense of collaboration and mutual trust is most important! As heroes of justice, we Ryuseitai want to ensure that everyone cooperates to escape from this situation, and most importantly, protect everyone’s safety. It may be frightening. There are a lot of things we don’t know. However, the only way we can survive is by marching forward! With the strength of everyone linked together, we can accomplish anything! If you are willing to accept me as a leader, I will gladly take on the tough position, and counter the villain who is controlling us. However, this means we must not give in to the rules that the mastermind, whoever is manipulating that Kirakuma, has set out for us. I will need everyone’s support. Are you all with me?”

It was a motivating speech, befitting the one and only Ryusei Red. Somehow, the way that he said these words had the ability to light the fire in Hinata’s heart again—before he realized it, he was joining the group of students giving out claps and cheers for the bold third year.

“Chiaki-kun.” The elder vampire, Rei, addressed Chiaki casually. “You sound as if you have a plan in mind already—would you care to share that with us?”

“Indeed, Ryuseitai have formulated a plan together!” Chiaki continued in his booming voice, looking proudly at the four remaining members seated around him. “We have decided that there are two main objectives: defeating the villain that is controlling us, and getting ourselves out of here. The important thing is to first find the headquarters of the mastermind, and seize control of it—that will make sure they don’t hinder our mission. I plan to send out search parties for possible hiding spots beginning today. However, it is also possible that the headquarters is not on this island, and we are being controlled from afar! Though I doubt that’s true, in that case we will destroy all the cameras, and use the resources we have at hand to build a boat and escape. As long as we all link forces, it will be possible! The mastermind wishes to see us participating in their game, and took great lengths to prepare it, so they won’t want to massacre all of us at once. That gives us an advantage!”

Many students were nodding eagerly in agreement. Hinata, too, could feel energy pulse through him. It felt so good to be ready to _do_ something, anything, to fight back against their situation. It was the right attitude that an idol should have. Applause rang out for Chiaki again.

However, not everyone was smiling in reaction to the third year’s speech.

“This is stupid. What’s with all the hero talk?” Izumi scoffed. “If we break the rules these guys could just open the ground up and impale us, couldn’t they? This isn’t one of your tokusatsu shows, Morisawa. Really, so~ annoying.”

“Sena is correct,” Keito said. “If we do this, we will be walking ourselves into a death trap. You are courageous, and that is admirable. However, you always act too recklessly when solving problems. We have our lives on the line here, Morisawa. You assume that we will not all be massacred, but how can you be sure? The ‘mastermind’, as you call him, seems more than content to kill us. Are you trying to risk all of our lives?”

“No, Hasumi. You know I’m not.” Chiaki regained a serious expression. “If anything happened, I would protect everyone here with my life. I swear on that. I just believe that a hero doesn’t stand back to watch when people are being threatened.”

“Chiaki,” Eichi addressed him, with a slightly troubled expression. “You are a hero during live shows, and on the TV screen. But offstage we are simply normal high schoolers. I respect you for your resolve, but you don’t need to push yourself like this. There’s no need to always keep your persona.”

“You may be right,” Chiaki said. “I don’t need to. But even offstage, an idol can bring hope to others, right? If ever there was a time when a hero is needed, it’s now. I’m just an amateur—I can do nothing but play the part, as you said. But if no one else here is going to be the real hero, at least I wish to fill that place. You can laugh at me, but I just want to try becoming one of the heroes that I’ve always admired.”

“Taichou…leave it to you to say something so touching.” Tetora looked genuinely moved. “Just like Taichou, I know we’re nothing but ‘fake’ heroes…but we wanted to do what a real hero would do! True men won’t stand by and do nothing in a crisis!”

“That’s right! That is the spirit of Ryuseitai, de gozaru!” Shinobu smiled brightly.

“…Don’t look at me…” Midori mumbled. “I was dragged into this, that’s all…”

Kanata just smiled. “Bubble, bubble…♪”

“This is ridiculous,” Keito slammed his hand down on the table and stood up. His voice rang with the steely authority that he always carried, as vice president of the Student Council. “I won’t allow this. If we continue like this, you will put us all in danger. Right now we know nothing—absolutely nothing! What is this ‘mastermind’ capable of? Where exactly are we? We must be careful and find out everything that we can before taking action. That is the correct, rational way to go!”

“We can’t afford to wait!” Chiaki retorted. “We don’t know what will happen. Not to mention, there’s the 48-hour time limit on that ‘first-time bonus’ of sorts…If we don’t do something now, there might be someone who decides to take that chance!”

“Are you suspecting us of possessing an intention to kill?”

“Absolutely not! But if we don’t link forces and collaborate, our trust and bond may fall apart. It can happen to any team.”

“And you think that with our numbers we can overpower the enemy, who has a range of lethal weapons at his disposal?”

“We can’t know until we’ve tried, right?”

“And you’re willing put everyone in danger because of this?”

“It’s better than sitting on one side and doing nothing! If we don’t take some sort of action it’s a definite defeat!”

The two third years stood across from each other, fierce looks in their eyes. Keito’s glare was menacing, but Chiaki didn’t back down.

The room was silent. The air seemed to be crackling with tension. Hinata found himself holding his breath.

Then a voice ripped through the silence. “I’m on Chii-chan-senpai’s side!” It was Subaru.

“I feel like it’s not right to stand by and watch…I want to fight back, at least! Give them what they deserve for what they did to Anzu!” His bright blue eyes were glittering with determination.

“I am also on Morisawa-senpai’s side. I wish to use my skills to protect the weak.” Adonis said after being silent for a long while.

“So am I!” Mitsuru chimed in.

“I’m afraid I must be on Hasumi-kun’s side,” Rei said calmly. “It does us no good to rush in without certainty.”

“I also support the vice president,” said Hokuto.

“As do I.” Eichi smiled.

Pretty soon everyone in the room was calling out who they favored. There was a surprisingly large divide. Hinata turned to Yuuta, a grin on his face. “What do you think, Yuuta-kun? I think Morisawa-senpai was so cool when he talked like that~! I’d like to be a hero, too!”

To his surprise, Yuuta was biting his lip and didn’t meet his gaze. “I’m not sure, Aniki. I really think it’s too dangerous to do what he said. You don’t want to get killed, do you?”

“But Yuuta-kun!” Hinata tugged on his brother’s arms in an effort to coerce him onto his side. “Think about how wrong it would be to sit around and follow that bear’s rules! We’re not going to just listen to what he said, are we?”

“If we disobey the rules, he’ll kill us though!”

“Yuuta-kun, are you scared?” Hinata tried to look Yuuta in the eye. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re not killed. Your Aniki will protect you with everything he has. Even if I have to die for you, okay?”

“Stupid Aniki!” Yuuta suddenly lashed out. “You always act like that, like you’re older and more responsible and you have to protect me…You always rush out and take on everything by yourself without thinking about what might happen to you. Have you considered how I feel? Don’t you realize that I’m worried for _you_ , too? What am I going to do without you? Stop being impulsive and let’s think through this together, okay?”

“Yuuta-kun…” Hinata was at a loss of words. He didn’t want to fight with Yuuta, not again, not now.

“Aniki, I don’t want either of us to die. Okay?”

“I know. But—then what else can we possibly do?”

His voice reverberated in the empty air. Hinata looked up and found that while they were speaking, the whole room had split up—each student had moved to stand with either Chiaki or Keito. On Chiaki’s side, there stood Tetora, Shinobu, Midori, Kanata, Mitsuru, Sora, Tsukasa, Adonis, Arashi, Koga, Subaru, Makoto, Souma, Leo, Wataru, and Madara. On Keito’s side, there was Tomoya, Hajime, Tori, Yuzuru, Hokuto, Natsume, Ritsu, Mika, Shu, Eichi, Izumi, Kaoru, Kuro, Nazuna, Rei, and Tsumugi. The only ones left in the middle were him and Yuuta, as well as Mao.

Mao was clearly caught between the two sides. On one side, there was Ritsu as well as the Student Council members calling for him to join. On the other, there were his comrades in Trickstar and the basketball club. He shook his head under expectant gazes. “I don’t want to take sides,” he said. “We really shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves…This is exactly what the enemy wants of us!”

“He’s right, Yuuta-kun,” Hinata said. “If we fight, then we’re goners.”

Yuuta didn’t say anything.

“I’m going to remain neutral,” Mao said. “You all can take your sides, but don’t pull me into this, all right? I don’t want to be anyone’s enemy, either.”

“Are you sure, Isara?” Keito prompted him. “I know you’re a levelheaded person. You’d be a valuable addition to either team.”

“I’m sure, vice president. It’s wrong to be splitting up like this.”

Hinata turned back to his brother. “So, Yuuta-kun, are you with me? Or are you going to be neutral like Isara-senpai?”

Yuuta glared at him. “You can do what you want, Aniki. But no one said that I have to cooperate with you. We can talk about it later.” He got up and walked over to Keito’s side.

Hinata wanted to call for him, to grab his shoulder and pull him back. But he had no right to do that. He turned without a word and joined Chiaki’s team. He was going to protect his little brother no matter what—even if it meant leaving him.

The two twins stood across from each other and their gazes met. To Hinata, Yuuta felt so close to him, and at the same time unreachable—as if he was on the other side of a rift that had suddenly opened in the middle of the ground. It broke his heart. They were supposed to be always together, two idols in one, each the other’s best partner. Now they were utterly separated, filled with conflict, uncertainty, and resentment, and at odds with each other—just like what all the students at Yumenosaki Academy had inevitably become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorm pairings may or may not actually represent my ships, most of them were the result of trying to fit everyone with a partner that they liked without having a bunch of unrelated people left over at the end (it's harder than it sounds, trust me.)
> 
> And feel free to call out whether you support Team Chiaki or Team Keito in the comments!


	3. 1.2 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He felt a little dazed, not least because of the lack of sleep he had gotten. His stack of papers threatened to fall from his grasp and scatter on the floor. But he couldn’t collapse here; he had to figure out what had happened first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me this far! A lot of things happen in this chapter, so you might want to prepare yourself...

Midori sighed. It was bad enough being trapped on an island and being forced to take part in a killing game. The fact that he had to endure his senpai—and roommate—Chiaki’s noisy antics made it ten times worse.

At the start, he hadn’t wanted to join Team Chiaki at all. When he first arrived at his dorm a day ago, he was ready to curl up into a ball and drown in his own depression in a corner of the room. Was this all a bad dream? What was this about having to murder someone to escape? If he didn’t, would he never see his family at the vegetable shop again?  

He was ready to break down fully when Chiaki suddenly stormed into the room, and without even listening to his complaints, cheerily dragged him off to the “Important Ryuseitai Meeting”, where they took on positions of heroes and saviors. So really, he had no choice in the process. Yes, he had argued with Chiaki. He had demanded to know why he had to take a part in this, why they were risking themselves, what use he would be anyway, since he was pretty useless in all respects, and would just be a hindrance to the team, wouldn’t he? And then Chiaki had grabbed him by the shoulders, looked him dead in the eye, and said:

“Takamine! I won’t force anything upon you. But you’ve seen how much your teammates have always needed you in the past. We as Ryuseitai need you, Takamine. You had agreed to partner with your comrades and support the team after Kanata and I leave, haven’t you? You showed me that you wouldn’t run away anymore. So please give me that resolve now. We’ll get out of this situation and you’ll return to become the proudly standing Ryusei Green, all right? I won’t allow it otherwise!”

—And with that, somehow he let himself be persuaded. It happened every time. From the first day of school when Chiaki came to recruit him, to the Repayment Festival performance, and then now. He was always persuaded.

He wondered why.

“Ryusei Green! Have you seen Blue anywhere?”

Midori looked up and saw the team captain, sweating after what was probably a long search mission. The members of Team Chiaki had all been assigned in groups to look for the possible headquarters of the mastermind. Yesterday afternoon, as well as this morning, they had turned up with nothing. But of course Chiaki wasn’t giving up.

“Ah, Shinkai-senpai…? No, I haven’t seen him…”

“If you’re looking for Kanata-san, then I have a pretty good idea where he is!” A loud voice sounded from behind him, and Midori jumped. He turned and saw Madara—that “rogue” character that Kanata kept talking about.

“You know, Mikejima-san? Then by all means, please lead the way!” Chiaki brightened. “It’s hard to thank you with how much you’ve been helping—I’m a little guilty that I took the role of team captain instead of you, you know. You’re much more capable.”

“Hahaha, not at all, Chiaki-san!” Madara laughed. “I don’t fit with teamwork that much. It’s my duty to be a helper, after all—just ask, and I’ll work on anything for you! You’re the hero, and I’m everyone’s Mama. We both belong in our roles! Isn’t that just great!”

Midori and Chiaki followed Madara across the field and the courtyard, until they arrived at the edge of the school outside the front gates. Waves splashed against the small strip of beach, and from there Midori could see the silhouette of someone sitting in the water, submerged all the way up to their neck.

“Kanata!” Chiaki called out immediately. The figure turned around.

“Chiaki…” Kanata looked at him with an unreadable expression. “I was just trying to ‘relax’ in the ‘ocean’, but…”

“Is there something wrong?” Midori asked tentatively. Seeing Kanata in the water was nothing new, but his expression was a bit strange.

“Hold on. Why is the ‘rogue’ with you?” Kanata narrowed his eyes. “He’s being ‘meddlesome’ again, isn’t he…?”

“No, no, Kanata-san!” Madara smiled. “I’m here to help, that’s all! No need to lash out at me! We’re all part of the same team, let’s be good friends, alright?”

“Mikejima-san looked around the campus and said that if we tore up some of the wooden things, we’d have the resources to build a boat,” Chiaki explained. “That man has a lot of talents…You know that he can do practically anything. That’s why I assigned him the role of escape officer.”

“Hmm…” Kanata turned his gaze back to the water. “There are no ‘fish’ in the ‘ocean’.”

“What do you mean?” Chiaki looked confused.

“The ‘ocean’ is completely ‘quiet’…There’s ‘nothing’ at all moving down there. There’s no sign of anything ‘alive’ or anything ‘dead’…It’s not the same ‘ocean’ that I’m familiar with.”

Kanata looked troubled. Chiaki and Midori glanced toward each other with confused expressions.

“How does he even detect fish while sitting like that…” Midori scratched his head.

“Maybe this section of the sea is just unexpectedly empty?” Chiaki suggested.  

“No. It’s like a ‘dead’ ocean. It makes me ‘uncomfortable’, Chiaki.” Kanata slowly pushed himself up and started walking back towards land. “Maybe there’s ‘something’ in the water…”

“It’s quite a mystery, isn’t it?” Madara smiled. “Then again, there are all sorts of strange and wonderful places all over the globe! One must always be open to discovering new things!”

“Maybe.” Chiaki took Kanata by the arm and pulled him out of the water. “I wonder where in the world we are…”

“Make way! Make way~!” They were suddenly interrupted by a gleeful shout. A figure was rushing towards them at full speed, long hair billowing in the wind. Midori recognized him—it was Wataru, another member of their team, and one of the “Three Oddballs” like Kanata. He had a few pigeons flapping beside him.

“Amazing! I am your own Hibiki Wataru…☆” The dramatic third year rushed to the edge of the beach right into the middle of their little party, and then did a small bow. “I have come to make my small contribution to this adventure! If you do not mind, that is, team captain Chiaki-kun.”

“Not at all,” Chiaki said, albeit a little confused. “Please go on! A hero always welcomes the help of others.”

“Wonderful!” Wataru beamed. “Now, I was just planning to send my pigeons off to navigate this expansive ocean. Perchance one should come across land, I have trained it to bring back a tree branch to us, so we know we are close! Now, isn’t that quite Amazing…?☆”

“You’re talented as always, Wataru…” Kanata smiled contently. “I knew your ‘skills’ would be ‘useful’ here.”

“The praise is unnecessary,” Wataru replied. “I am merely an entertainer, here to enrich this intriguing show with some magic tricks. Now, let us make haste!”

He gave a signal to the two pigeons resting on his shoulder, and they immediately flew outwards in the way of the ocean. Within a short while they were merely specks against the afternoon sun. They seemed to have been trained to fly in a straight line, and not sway off to different directions.

“And that is done!” Wataru concluded with a smile. “Shall we be heading back into the campus?”

“Certainly.” Chiaki nodded. “Our business here is done as well.”

As they made their way back past the front gates into the campus, they were met by Shinobu and Mao, who happened to be running over from the direction of the dormitory building. Shinobu jumped up and down and waved his hand when he spotted Chiaki. “Taichou-dono! It is a relief to see you! We have made a discovery, de gozaru!”

“What is it, Ryusei Yellow?” Chiaki stopped and asked his junior. Midori paused to listen as well.

“Well, Isara-dono and I were exploring in the dormitory building—” Shinobu started, but Midori interrupted him.

“Umm, Isara-senpai was with you? I thought you were neutral, though…?”

“Ahaha, I am,” Mao said. “I just happened to run into Sengoku and he wanted me to accompany him, that’s all. I suppose the good part of being neutral is I could observe both sides—I won’t meddle in anything, I promise.”

“Well, you’re welcome to join Team Chiaki at any time if you get tired of watching!” Chiaki gave a loud laugh. “And then? What did you find, Sengoku?”

“We found that there was a hidden staircase in the dorm building, leading to the third floor, de gozaru!” Shinobu explained with visible excitement. “I was curious as to what may be on the third floor, because all the dorms are on the first and second floor, de gozaru. And so we went up and found that on the third floor, there are also a multitude of rooms, about ten or so in total. However, all of them are locked, de gozaru. We tried opening the doors but they didn’t budge. I think they might be something important, de gozaru!”

“That _is_ very interesting information, Ryusei Yellow!” Chiaki replied. “Well done for that. If there’s something important behind those doors, we ought to find some way to get at it. Sengoku, can you take me to see what you found immediately? I want to give them a try first. Breaking into locked areas isn’t against the rules, if I remember correctly, is it, Isara?”

“No, it’s not.” Mao frowned a little. “That’s strange—why wouldn’t it be? Anyway, as long as you’re careful, I guess it’s okay.”

“Great! Come with me, then, Ryusei Green,” Chiaki commanded. “Your strength may be a big help.”

“It will…?” Hearing that made Midori nervous, but at the same time, he was curious about the locked rooms. He decided not to protest.

As Shinobu led the way to the dorms ahead of them, Chiaki spoke again. “Takamine. What do you think about the progress we’re making?”

“Uhm…” Midori was a little surprised that his captain would consult him especially. “I don’t really know. But I think we’re doing a lot better now…we’re prepared to build a boat, we’re scouting for land, and we have a lead with the locked rooms…And besides, nothing bad has happened yet. I think maybe we can do it. Maybe no one will have to die.” Just saying the words made his heart lighten a little.

“That’s good! If even you’re hopeful, Takamine, then I’m sure we’re on the right track!” Chiaki laughed brightly. “Once we get back, I wish to speak to everyone, including the vice president’s team about what we’ve got. Even though they’re being hostile right now, with everything we’ve uncovered, maybe they’ll listen to us.”

“You could…announce it over dinner, maybe?” Midori suggested.

“That’s a good plan. Rather, I’ll tell them to meet tomorrow, when we’ve figured out a more detailed strategy. Thanks for all your hard work, Ryusei Green. We’ll be out of here in no time!” Chiaki grinned.

“Uh…yeah. I hope so.” Midori smiled back.

Somehow, he had done it again—the captain had made him believe that everything was going to be alright.

 

\--

 

In the end, they weren’t able to figure out a way to get in the locked rooms with just themselves. Midori slumped over the dinner table, finishing his broccoli and tomatoes. It made him think of the vegetable shop back home. Were his parents looking for him? Were they worried sick? Would he ever go back again? It made him miss them more than ever.

“Don’t worry, Mom, Dad…I’ll be strong, and get out of here…” he mumbled to himself.

When they all gathered for dinner that night, Chiaki had quickly informed everyone in the room that there had been new discoveries, and called for a meeting in front of the fountain the next day at 8:00 AM to discuss a plan of action. He had invited “everyone”, but Midori was pretty sure most people interpreted that as “people in Team Chiaki”. Still, Chiaki had insisted that anyone who was interested could come.

Midori scraped the last few vegetables off his plate, and then picked it up, preparing to leave. Several students, including Chiaki and the rest of Ryuseitai, had already finished and went back to their dorms. He had taken longer than he realized because he was lost in thought. However, just as he stood up, a voice called his name.

“Hey! Takamine.”

He was surprised to see Tori, the small first year from the other class. He didn’t have his servant or the president with him, either. Midori blinked a few times, confused because they weren’t exactly close. Plus, he was on Keito’s team, wasn’t he?

“Um…Did you just call my name?”

“Yes, of course. The great Himemiya Tori is taking his precious time to talk to you, you know? So you should feel honored and keep me company, commoner.” Tori put his hands on his hips.

“Uhh…Okay, Himemiya-kun…Do you have some business with me? I thought you were on the other team though…”

“Yeah, don’t get the wrong idea.” Tori twisted his hands, a little awkwardly. Midori sat back down, and Tori pulled up a seat next to him. “I’m just…you know…scouting out the actions of the enemy! That’s what I’m doing. It’s important to know what your opponent is up to.”

“I really don’t think everyone should be fighting like this…” Midori sighed. “It makes everything so depressing.”

“Well, it’s your guys’ fault anyway. It’s because that Morisawa-senpai just barged right in and told us what to do…” Tori faltered a little. “I mean, maybe I shouldn’t have said that. He _was_ trying to save us, I guess.”

“Yeah. Taichou’s loud and annoying, but he’s really a good person…” Midori admitted. “Without him, I don’t think I’d have any hopes of going back home.”  

“I wanna go back home too, you know?” Tori looked a little downcast. “Takamine, you’re from a commoner family, aren’t you?”

“That’s right…My parents own a vegetable shop.”

“I bet that’s great, having them there with you every day,” Tori sighed. Midori was surprised. He was expecting Tori to laugh at him. Wasn’t that boy always bragging about his high status?  

“I mean, your parents would be looking for you now, right?” Tori continued. “If my parents looked for me, they’d probably be powerful enough to find us real quick. But they won’t be looking. I hardly get to see my parents at all. I don’t think they’d even realize I’m gone for the first few months.” A few tears welled up in his eyes.

Midori was a bit taken aback. He’d never realized that someone like Tori could also be suffering like this. He wanted to console him, but didn’t really know how. They lived in two separate worlds, after all. Still, the least he could do was listen.

“But still, I really want to go back…I want to go back and show my parents how much I’ve grown when they weren’t here. I want to have the chance to make them proud. And make President proud, too, you know? I don’t want it to end here…” Tori was sniffling a little. Midori awkwardly put a hand on his shoulder. He could understand how Tori felt. He wanted desperately to go back, too.

He thought Tori would bat his hand away, but he didn’t. He just sat without saying anything. His back was trembling ever so slightly.

 

\--

 

Keito walked out of the dormitory building at a brisk pace. He had too much to deal with and that irritated him. An all-nighter tonight would probably be inevitable.

Presently, he was looking for all the student council members. He had just been to fetch Eichi, whom he was a little concerned for, because he had broken into a cough during dinner and retired early to his dorm. Keito was worried his body might not withstand this sort of environment. Still, when he knocked on the door of Eichi and Wataru’s dorm, he had answered immediately, looking quite all right. Afterwards, they had dropped by Tori and Yuzuru’s dorm, but Yuzuru informed them that Tori wasn’t there. He still brought along Yuzuru, because he was a valuable part of the team, and practically already a member of the student council anyway.  

Keito opened the doors to the cafeteria and saw Tori speaking with Midori, of all people. The cafeteria was deserted besides them, as well as Ritsu and Mao. It seems Ritsu had fallen asleep on the table, and Mao didn’t want to leave him.

Keito called for Tori, who immediately perked up, not because of him but because of Eichi, who was standing next to him. “President!” he called out, bouncing over like a kitten. Midori seemed to realize this was something he was not to be a part of, and gave Tori a quick nod before leaving the room.

“Isara, you can join, too,” Keito said. As a neutral outsider, Mao had been spending some time with both groups, and sometimes relayed information between the two. Keito felt that there was no harm in letting him hear this.

He sat everyone around a table and spread out a few files. They were his notes from today. “I wanted to show everyone here what we’ve got. Today, I asked most people in our team to scour the school for any traces of difference from our own Yumenosaki. The results were quite curious. Much of the school is identical down to tiny anomalies. For example, Mashiro has noted that a crack on the surface of his table in his classroom is still there and perfectly identical. Sena and Nito have also verified that their tennis racquets are still stored in the sports room, and are certainly theirs—down to the precise amount of wear and tear. However, there are also a few strange differences.” He paused.

“Aoba informed me that a day before our graduation—a day before we lost consciousness—he had rearranged a section of books in the library, sorting them by topic instead of the author’s name. But now they have returned to their original state, as if he had never touched them. Furthermore, as Fushimi noticed earlier, all the arrows in the archery hall have been replaced with hunting arrows, the type that are lethal.” Keito pushed up his glasses.

“That’s quite suspicious,” Eichi mused. He had his brows furrowed, but seemed to have no more clue than Keito.

“I’ve spent most of my day searching for where we may possibly be located,” Keito continued. “I realized that there is absolutely nothing on campus containing the current date, which I’m certain is a deliberate move. It means we may have been out for weeks or even months, and perhaps have had our memories wiped. Therefore, it is impossible to use the movement of the sun or the length of day to determine our latitude and longitude. We could be in the wrong hemisphere for all we know. There are many islands of this size across the globe, but ours is peculiar as we can see no land or other islands in any direction. Typically, isolated islands ought to be a far greater size than this.”

“You’ve worked hard, vice president,” Mao said. “This is all pretty confusing, but I’m sure we’ll make sense of it soon…”

“Yes, I believe we’ll be able to,” Keito replied. “Anyway, my purpose for calling you here is to tell you to think about these results, as I will do myself, over the course of tonight. Tomorrow, we will attend the meeting that Morisawa is holding. However, please meet me in the student council office at 7:30 AM, a half hour before the meeting. We will discuss any conclusions we may have reached, and how to present them to Team Chiaki. And…in the case that Team Chiaki proposes something dangerous, how to stop them.”

Everyone nodded.  

Keito hesitated before speaking again. “Finally…I’d like to remind everyone to be cautious. Although I hate to say this, we are not safe—there’s still a little more than 13 hours left till the 48-hour time limit. Nothing has happened yet, which is good, but please take care of yourselves.”

Tori looked a little nervously toward Eichi. “Will we be alright, President…?”

“Of course, Tori,” Eichi gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry.”

“Well then,” Keito stood up. “You’re dismissed.”

Yuzuru left with Tori, pulling him a little closer to his side than necessary, while Mao went to wake up Ritsu. Keito exited the cafeteria and walked towards the dorm building with Eichi beside him. The moon was already up, casting a soft light on the ground below. The school was peacefully silent. It was almost calming in a way.

“Keito,” Eichi asked suddenly, “Do you think any of us would actually kill someone for the ‘first-time bonus’?”

“It’s hard to say,” Keito responded. “I can think of plenty of us who would risk their lives for a friend, of course. But to kill someone else is a different matter.”

“So,” Eichi said with a bemused expression, “You don’t think it’s worthy to sacrifice one unrelated person to save both yourself and another close to you?”

“Kirakuma said that all others would be executed as well, didn’t he? Which means you’d be sacrificing more than that one person—you’d be sacrificing everyone.”

“But they would all die throughout the continuation of the game anyway,” Eichi remarked. “It’s hard to believe we’re in a situation that we can escape from.”

“Not true. Everything has a solution, and you should be the one to know that, Eichi,” Keito huffed. “As long as we keep our wits about us, we’ll find a way out of this.”

“But if you had to, who would you choose?” Eichi pushed on.

“Choose?”

“If you were to save somebody else…Who would you save? Would it be me?”

Keito remained silent for a few long seconds, then shook his head. “I can’t imagine myself doing it, Eichi. I won’t answer that question.”

“I see.” Eichi smiled. “You’re just as I expected, Keito.”

His smile irritated him. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to do something.”

“Haha, of course not.” Eichi laughed softly. “What can this body of mine be capable of, anyway? Besides, there’s a great risk to run. I wouldn’t endanger myself so easily. I plan on surviving, Keito, as far as I possibly can. I’ve dragged my weak body so far already—I don’t want to give up on it now. Life’s too precious to give up on, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I know you well enough. I know you’ll do anything in your power to get out of this alive, Eichi. I sincerely hope you succeed.”

Keito walked up the stairs and stopped in front of his dorm, which was one door down from Eichi’s. Kuro, his roommate, was probably in the room already. It was nearly nighttime, after all. He gave Eichi a small wave, and bid him goodnight.

“See you tomorrow morning, Keito.”

“Yes, see you.”

 

\--

 

At 7:30 sharp the next day, Keito stopped dead in front of the student council office.  

He hadn’t expected this.

He felt a little dazed, not least because of the lack of sleep he had gotten. His stack of papers threatened to fall from his grasp and scatter on the floor. But he couldn’t collapse here; he had to figure out what had happened first.

“Vice president? What’s wrong?”

Rushed footsteps sounded from the other end of the corridor, and Yuzuru arrived with Tori at his side. They both sucked in a breath when they saw what had happened.

The door to the student council office was left wide open. Inside, papers littered the floor. A chair was knocked over, and the room seemed to be utterly trashed. On one wall, scrawled in large red letters, were the words “ _THE OPPRESSORS SHALL DIE_.” But most unnerving of them all was a kitchen knife sunk right into the wood of the office table—and it was stained with blood.

“Wh-What happened?” Tori cried. He was shaking all over.

“Eichi—Where’s Eichi?!” Keito yelled. He was just about to panic when he spotted the thin silhouette of Eichi walking towards them from the end of the hall. He let out a breath.

Eichi took one glance at the wreckage inside the student council office, and his expression hardened. “Do you know who did this, Keito?”

“No—I only just arrived myself.”

“How did they manage to get in?” Yuzuru asked.

Keito groaned. “It’s my fault. I was so distracted last night that I forgot to lock the door. We’re lucky no one was in the room.”

Eichi looked worried. “You don’t suppose…”

“—Someone was killed?” Keito whirled around and saw Mao, who had just arrived at the scene of the disaster. So all the student council members were safe. But then…

“Who would have been killed?” Yuzuru pointed out. “We’re all here, and it seems clear we’re the target. It’s possible the blood is a scare tactic.”

“We must go search,” Eichi asserted. He was looking more serious than usual. “The perpetrator might still be around—not to mention, the possible victim.”

“W-Wouldn’t he kill us too if we found him?” Tori squealed, eyes wide in terror.

“Young Master, I’ll protect you if that happens—” Yuzuru said, but Eichi interrupted him.

“You’re right, we must protect Tori, but there’s a better way of doing it.” He put a hand on Tori’s back lightly and bent down to meet his eyes. “Stay in the student council office and lock it from the inside. Don’t come out until one of us comes around and tells you it’s safe, okay?”

“O-Okay, President…” Tori whimpered. “I understand.”

“President-sama, I’d rather stay with the Young Master myself…” Yuzuru protested, but Eichi shook his head. “There’s no time right now. We need all the people we can get. If we split up, we can cover more ground. Let’s move quickly!”

Keito hadn’t seen the president this assertive in a long time, so he was a bit stunned—usually he relied on Keito to give the orders. Maybe the life-or-death situation was starting to bring out Eichi’s serious side for once. Before he knew it though, the president had already taken off toward one end of the hall and disappeared. Keito realized he was right. They had no time on their hands; they had an attacker to catch.

All traces of fatigue forgotten, Keito turned and began moving in the opposite direction. He heard the student council door slam shut behind him.

 

\--

 

Tetora was getting anxious. It was 2 minutes until 8:00, Chiaki’s proposed meeting time. A lot of people were already gathered around the fountain—not only the members of Team Chiaki, but quite a few from Team Keito as well. But the one person still missing was the star of the show. Chiaki was nowhere to be found.

This was quite abnormal. Usually, Chiaki would be the one to turn up ten minutes _early_ for a meeting. A lot of bad things surfaced in Tetora’s mind that he didn’t want to think about, so he did what he always did in times like this: he consulted Kuro for help.

“Taishou!”

“Yes, Tetsu?” Kuro looked up at his junior. He was one of the Team Keitos who decided to attend Chiaki’s meeting.

“Um, I think there’s a problem…Our Taichou is missing. Usually he comes early, you see, but still no one’s heard from him…”

Midori seemed to overhear their conversation, and looked equally concerned. “I saw him this morning when we were getting up, but he wasn’t in the cafeteria just now.”

“Taishou, will you go look for him with me?” Tetora pleaded. “Even though you’re not on our team, you’re still someone strong that I can rely on. I’m worried…”

“You didn’t need to ask, Tetsu,” Kuro said. “I’m equally concerned for Morisawa. Things like teams and sides don’t matter when a friend is in danger. Let’s search, quickly.”

It didn’t take them very long. They ran from the courtyard onto the field, found it empty, and then looped back around on the outside ring of the school grounds, on the path behind the eastern school building. It was there that Tetora let out a yell and fell to the ground in horror.

He was kneeling in front of Chiaki’s body, lying facedown in the ground, covered in blood. A long, thin stick was protruding from his back. Tetora looked closely and found that it was the shaft of an arrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh nooo poor chiaki ;_;
> 
> Everything may seem pretty confusing right now but things will become clearer after investigation and trial. Anyway, I'd love to hear your opinions on who might be the killer! I'd be really impressed if anyone can guess right at this stage!
> 
> On a side note, I have no idea what qualifies as a relationship tag... I'll add chiamido for this chapter for now but feel free to tell me if another should be in the tags.


	4. 1.3 Abnormal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still, he didn’t feel any tears coming. From the moment he saw Chiaki’s body, he couldn’t feel pain; he felt only a terrible, numbing hollowness inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy it's investigation time! I'm putting a lot of thought into the mystery/deduction portions of this fic so there's quite a bit of information floating around, but I'd be really excited if anyone could come up with their own theory. Be sure to comment if you do!

_“Attention all students. A body has been discovered. After a period of investigation time, a Class Trial will be held where the identity of the killer is discussed.”_

Arashi’s head snapped up as he heard the announcement play across the campus.

“No way…” he murmured. He was hit by a sense of dread, instinctively checking for the faces of everyone that he knew around him. Tsukasa and Leo were here, but Ritsu and Izumi hadn’t come to the meeting, so he couldn’t locate them. Mika wasn’t there, either.

Arashi looked around in a panic, and in the midst of everything, caught the figure of Tetora sprinting towards them from around the school building. Was he—crying?

“Everyone! It’s—he’s—” Tetora choked on his own words as he addressed the group. “That way, at the back!” He pointed in the direction he had come from. “I left Taishou with him—I couldn’t…” He shook his head rapidly, unable to continue.

Pretty soon everyone around the fountain had followed Tetora’s directions and arrived at the scene of the crime. Arashi felt a pang of sadness when he saw Chiaki’s corpse—he had been so brave when he rallied everyone to fight back that day, and this is what he got in return. But as much as it hurt for him, Arashi knew his pain couldn’t compare to the rest of Ryuseitai. All four of them seemed to fall to pieces on the sight of Chiaki’s corpse, even Kanata, who normally hardly displayed any emotion. Arashi knew he would have the same reaction if someone from Knights had died.

A few more minutes passed as the rest of the students staggered upon the scene. Keito and Mao came running over quite soon, followed by Yuzuru and Tori, and then Eichi. Afterwards, Arashi spotted Izumi and Kaoru, Mika and Shu, and then Natsume hurrying over. Finally, just as he was about to go look for him, Ritsu arrived, rubbing his eyes and clearly irritated at being woken up by the announcement. That made everyone.

As if on cue, the obnoxious voice of Kirakuma immediately resounded through the crowd, hushing everyone in an instant.

“Good morning, you lot! Isn’t it exciting that we have our first murder already? Now, for all of you newbies at investigation here, I’ve provided a generous gift. Check your electronic ID cards for a file on the murder at hand—it’s got lots of details that might come in handy. That’s all I have to say, you lot. Looking forward to the trial! He-heh!”

With that, the bear disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. It irritated Arashi, but there was nothing else he could do but take out his ID card. Sure enough, there was a new button on the screen labelled “Kirakuma Files”.

When he clicked on it, what appeared was a full-body silhouette of Chiaki, descriptions of the cause of death, and some extra details. There was a bright red splotch right in the middle of Chiaki’s chest in the image; that was probably where the arrow had struck him. The cause of death read “Pierced through chest by sharp object; died of organ failure and blood loss.” The time of death was 7:45 AM.

Arashi checked the time displayed on the ID card. It was 8:07 now. Then he realized there was also a button that allowed you to take photos. He fiddled around with it and took a picture of the corpse—an easy way to capture the evidence, though he made a mental note to delete it after the trial. It was just too disturbing to look at. He then stepped back to take another picture with a wider view, capturing everyone in the crowd as well as the school building in front of them.

Just as he hit the shutter he noticed that some commotion was breaking out amongst the students, with Koga, Souma, and Keito at the center of it.

“—And I’m saying that it can’t be anybody but you! It’s fucking obvious, just admit it already, shitty glasses!” Koga was yelling.

“What evidence do you have that I did it? You don’t have any, do you!” Keito retorted, red in the face with frustration.

“I have plenty of evidence right here! He was killed with an arrow, wasn’t he? You don’t have to be Einstein to know that the archery club captain is capable of doing that!”

“Hasumi-dono,” Souma interjected from alongside Koga, “Please tell me if it was really you who committed this wrongdoing. If it was not, then I will commit seppuku for blaming you! But based on the evidence here, you are the obvious suspect. You are the captain of the opposing team. You have every reason to do this.”

“Kanzaki, I will not do something like commit murder.” Keito stood firmly, but he seemed to be losing ground to his two juniors. “And in addition, I would like to know who on _your_ team attacked the student council office.”

“You say the student council office was attacked?” Souma stiffened a little.

“Yes. This morning we found it in tatters, with a threatening message left on the wall,” Keito explained. “There was also a knife covered in blood. We were worried someone was killed.”

“Heh! That was probably just a joke by one of the kids here,” Koga scoffed. “And besides, now that makes perfect sense! You were searching for that attacker of yours and saw that Morisawa, thinking he’s behind all this, so you shot him dead, huh? Just like what the student council would do—crush the students at any opportunity! That’s what your ‘team’ stands for, shitty glasses!”

A hush fell over the crowd when he said that. Pairs of surprised eyes were on them.

Keito clenched his fists together. “This is all your arbitrary guesswork. You still don’t have any evidence, do you? Not to mention, I am not the only one in the archery club!”

“That’s right,” Souma noticed. “There’s also Fushimi-dono…and…two members from Knights?”

“But Leader and I are both on Morisawa-senpai’s side,” Tsukasa pointed out. “We don’t have any reason to kill our team captain.”

“That leaves the butler guy then!” Koga pointed to Yuzuru in rage. “You’re on the council’s side, too, aren’t you? Then you’re in the same boat as him. We can’t trust you, either!”

“Me?” Yuzuru looked mildly surprised. “I assure you I haven’t done anything though.”

“Doesn’t matter! Neither you nor the shitty glasses have a say in this!”

“I would kindly ask you to refrain from making fun of my glasses!” Keito countered.

Just as they looked like they were going to fight each other, Arashi pushed past the crowd and laid a hand on both sides’ shoulders to calm them down. “All right, all right, guys, please don’t argue now! We have a case to solve, and accusing people before we investigate isn’t going to get us anywhere, alright~? Save this for the trial, _please_.”

“Narukami-dono makes a good point,” Souma remarked. “We should use this time to investigate.”

“Well, we can’t let _them_ participate!” Koga pointed at Keito and Yuzuru. “What if they try to destroy evidence?”

“Well then, Hasumi-dono, Fushimi-dono,” Souma offered, “Perhaps I can take you to a classroom for the duration of this investigation period, and stand guard so that you don’t leave. I would ask that you two comply, or I will cut you both down with my _katana_.”

Keito was about to protest, but Yuzuru stopped him.

“I think it would be wise to agree, vice president-sama. Or else, we would look more suspicious than we already are.”

The vice president finally conceded, and Arashi let out a sigh of relief as Souma led the two of them away. Luckily things ended without anyone killing each other. He had grown used to playing the role of peacemaker—it happened a lot within Knights, a unit with quite a few discordant members at hand. But he hated the constant quarreling here that had happened for two days already. It was stressful. He could already feel the effects on his skin.

Arashi noticed that because of what he mentioned about investigation, most of the students had begun splitting up, heading towards different areas of the school to look for clues. Only a few people remained at the scene of the crime. They were Leo, Izumi, Adonis, and himself.

“Naru-kun.” Izumi addressed him with his usual annoyed expression. “I was thinking that it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the body.”

“The body?” Arashi’s heart sank. “But that just feels…so…insensitive.”

“Well, someone’s got to do it,” Izumi remarked. “Are you going to leave it to those guys who lost their leader, or our cute little first years?”

“If you need help, I can assist you,” Adonis offered, wearing a stoic expression as he looked at the corpse. “I’m not very good at solving problems, or talking…but if it’s work like this, I might be of some use.”

Arashi smiled at his kindness. They were right—it’s a job that had to be done. He worked up his determination. “Let’s do it, then.”

In comparison to what had happened to Anzu, Chiaki’s body didn’t look all that terrible. The wound on his back was deep—very deep, and his school uniform around it was stained with blood. But the rest of him seemed unscathed. The killer had enough skill to kill with one strike.

“Narukami,” Adonis asked, “Would it be all right to take the arrow out to investigate?”

Arashi winced. He didn’t like it, but it might reveal important evidence. “All right, then.”

Adonis gave the arrow a small tug, and it slipped out with surprising ease. The weapon certainly didn’t belong in Yumenosaki—it looked more like something one might use to hunt for big game. A weapon like that would be instantly lethal. But where did it come from?

“Oh, I know where the killer got that from,” Leo said. He had seemed to be trapped in his own little world earlier, so it was surprising to know that he was paying attention. “The bear switched these with the arrows in the archery hall! What was that bear’s name again—Kirara…?”

“So they’re a gift from the mastermind of the game,” Izumi said coolly. “They definitely want to see us dead, no doubt about it.”

There seemed to be nothing else to see on Chiaki’s back, so Arashi asked Adonis, “Do you think you could turn him over? And maybe move him aside a bit.”

Adonis complied. They saw that Chiaki had a blood splotch on the front of his chest as well—the arrow had ostensibly pierced straight through him. There was also a pool of blood on the ground beneath him. Arashi kneeled down and squinted at the blood, trying to comprehend the strange sense of something amiss that’s been pounding away at him since a while earlier. Then he noticed a small mark made on the concrete ground, close to where Chiaki had been lying.

If he hadn’t been looking closely he would have missed it—a light “X” drawn by white chalk on the ground. But he had no idea what it might mean.

He took a photo of everything he found, trying to make sense of it all. Something didn’t add up.

“Say, Izumi-chan.”

“What?” Izumi was looking around the vicinity of the scene, trying to find anything the killer might have dropped or left. But it looks like there was nothing.

“Do you really think that the vice president did it?”

Izumi paused before answering. “I can’t tell. He’s suspicious, all right. But he’s not the type that would kill someone. I wouldn’t have joined his team otherwise.”

And then without another word, he turned to drag Leo away from the body, because he was trying to trace musical notes from the pool of blood on the ground again.

 

\--

 

After Tetora had taken a sobbing Shinobu aside to console him, Kanata came up to Midori and asked for permission to investigate their dorm.

“Our dorm…?” Midori didn’t comprehend immediately. “Sure, but why would you want to look there?”

“I don’t know. But I feel in my ‘heart’ that Chiaki might have left some ‘clues’,” Kanata said, slowly and quietly, without change in expression. Even though he was trying hard not to show it, Midori could tell he was also miserable inside—he had been around the peculiar boy long enough to notice the way his head drooped just a little and his arms hung limply.

“All right, then,” Midori said. He led Kanata to the dorm that he and Chiaki shared—or, once shared—and opened the door. It felt immediately empty without his team captain in the room. Still, Midori didn’t feel any tears coming. From the moment he saw Chiaki’s body, he couldn’t feel pain; he felt only a terrible, numbing hollowness inside him.

Kanata wordlessly went to work on Chiaki’s side of the room, flipping through his drawers and checking everything thoroughly. In one drawer, Chiaki had put a stack of tokusatsu tapes that were probably his gift from Kirakuma. He had stowed them away along with a note that said: “Watch these when I’m losing hope!” But of course, he had never gotten to watch them.

Kanata checked a few more things, and then closed the drawers. “Did you notice anything out of the ordinary last night, Midori?”

Midori shook his head. “No, nothing that I can remember. He was just as lively as ever.”

“Hmm…but, Chiaki’s the type to ‘hide’ difficult things from others, you know,” Kanata mused. “I think we have to look ‘closer’.”

With that, the blue-haired boy made his way to Chiaki’s bed and began lifting up the sheets and pillows, even checking under the bed for good measure. Still, there was nothing. On a whim, he opened the pillowcase of the pillow Chiaki was using and stretched his hand inside—and this time, it came back with a piece of paper in it.

“I ‘found’ something, Midori.” Kanata’s voice rose a little with apprehension.

Midori immediately joined Kanata to inspect the piece of paper. It was a fairly plain note, with a few sentences on it written in a handwriting that was certainly not Chiaki’s:

_“To Morisawa Chiaki. Would you please meet me tomorrow before the group meeting at 7:45 AM, behind the eastern school building? I have something urgent I need to consult with you. Please ensure no one else sees this note.”_

The note was not signed. Midori noticed that the date and time matched those of Chiaki’s death—so there’s little doubt that this was part of the killer’s strategy to get at Chiaki alone.

“So Morisawa-senpai listened to the writer of this note…and hid it. That’s why I never realized it existed,” he concluded.

Kanata didn’t reply.

“If he had shown me, maybe I could have went with him, and made sure nothing happened…”

Still no reply.

“Shinkai-senpai…?”

Kanata was clenching the note so hard his hands were trembling. He didn’t meet Midori’s eyes, but instead read the note again, and then again.

“Chiaki…you ‘idiot’. How could you fall into a ‘trap’ like this?”

He didn’t bother hiding it anymore.

“You’re always like this…Always putting yourself in ‘danger’ and ‘hiding’ it from everyone else. You ‘trust’ people too much…You never realize who might be ‘against’ you.”

“Why, Chiaki…? Why were you such a ‘fool’? And…why didn’t I ‘warn’ you before it ‘happened’?”

A tear rolled down Kanata’s cheek as Midori looked on.

He wished he could cry like that, too.

 

\--

 

“Oshi-san, come on! We’ll get ya to take a break in the Handicrafts clubroom, so you can calm yourself down, ‘kay?”

Mika was hurriedly pulling Shu along with him in the hallway, casting worried glances at his mentor. Shu’s face was pale. He was stumbling a little bit, but Mika supported him. Since it had happened once already, Mika knew why Shu was like this—it was because of the blood.

Shu couldn’t stand seeing blood, and definitely not in large quantities. Small wounds like being stabbed by a needle he could handle. But when Anzu had died, even when he saw the scene for just a split second, he had gotten dizzy and weak in the knees. He had nearly collapsed when they eventually made it to their dorm. This time with Chiaki was no different, although the scene was slightly less grisly, so Shu held himself together a bit more. Mika figured that the grotesque red color clashed too much with his Oshi-san’s fine-tuned senses, making it unbearable for him.

“Ya feelin’ alright, Oshi-san?” Mika checked. Shu nodded, relaxing a bit now that they were in front of the clubroom.

Mika reached out and pushed open the door—and then the door struck something solid behind it. The thing behind the door fell to the ground with a _crash_ , and Mika let out a shriek.

“What is it, Kagehira?”

“I-I-Is that a _corpse_?” Mika cried.

“What?! Do not be ridiculous—”

Mika steadied himself enough to take another look at the thing that had fallen down, and then let out a sigh of relief. “No, no, Oshi-san, ‘s not. Sorry for scaring ya. It was one of the mannequins.”

“A mannequin…?” Shu asked suspiciously. “I have never placed any of the mannequins behind the door.”

“Yeah, I just thought it was a corpse at first ‘cause the room was dark and it’s all dressed up and it had some blood on it…eh?” Mika stopped.

“ _What_ did you just say, Kagehira?”

Mika leaped into the room and dropped down beside the fallen mannequin. What he saw made his heart leap up into his throat. “I…I think it’s real blood, Oshi-san. Ya probably shouldn’ see this.”

“Well, move it aside. I won’t let it stop me from entering the room. In the meantime, we can discuss why in the world there is blood on a mannequin in the Handicrafts clubroom.”

Mika did as he was told, moving the mannequin to where Shu couldn’t see it. “There isn’t any blood on the floor, Oshi-san, so at least I don’ think anyone was killed here.”

“But someone has intruded into our clubroom,” Shu remarked in an irritated tone. “And ruined some of my handiwork. Which costume is the mannequin wearing?”

“’s the one we were workin’ on last night…”

“Non! Despite the fact that I was sewing it because I needed to get my mind off things, those were still valuable hours!” Shu snapped, furious now. “I will not forgive the person who did this. But I still have no clue what has happened here.”

“Hmm…” Mika inspected the mannequin closely. There wasn’t too much blood on it—just a small splatter on one side, still rather fresh. The costume it was wearing was very simple, something Shu had been making absentmindedly, so when laid down, it could be mistaken quite easily for a Yumenosaki student’s body. When he lifted it up and inspected the back of it, though, he noticed that it was rather dirty. What’s more, there was something faint and white on the fabric. Mika wasn’t sure, but it looked a bit like…chalk dust?

“The mannequin’s dirty, so someone probably took this out…somewhere. An’ then after they used it, brought it back in again?” Mika guessed.

“But used it for what?” Shu probed. He had his eyebrows knitted in frustration.

“I dunno…D’you think this has something t’ do with Morisawa’s case, Oshi-san?”

“I believe it does,” Shu said. “I just can’t figure out the connection yet. Use your brain, Kagehira, and think about it—if you have one in that empty head of yours.”

Mika smiled, relieved that Shu had found enough energy to scold him like usual. “I’m an idiot, so I probably won’t be of much help…Oshi-san, you can think while I prepare some croissants or somethin’.”

Shu sighed. “You never fail to dumbfound me, Kagehira. As if one would have a mind to eat in a situation like this.”

“Understood~ I’ll make it croissants an’ tea, alright~?”

“Are you even listening, Kagehira?!”

 

\--

 

Tomoya clutched Hajime’s hand tightly the entire way to the garden terrace. They were silent, but Tomoya was sure that the kind, sensitive boy was devastated after witnessing two deaths in a row. This was where he had to be strong for him.

He knew that tea always calmed Hajime down, which is why he asked if Hajime would like to go to the garden terrace and drink something to soothe his nerves, and he had nodded enthusiastically. When they arrived, they saw that Eichi and Tori were already seated there, discussing something with each other. Hajime brightened a bit when he saw his senpai from the tea club, and dipped his head in respectful greeting. Eichi gave a friendly smile and waved.

“Hajime, should I make some tea for you? Or would you like to do it yourself?” Tomoya asked.

“It’s alright, I can do it myself.” Hajime gave a shy smile. “Thanks for being so considerate, Tomoya-kun…I don’t think I could stand it here without you.”

“No, it’s nothing, really.”

“You can wait out here while I prepare the tea. You’ve worked hard enough already, right?”

“I’d rather come in with you,” Tomoya said. “I don’t want to leave you alone—plus, I like watching you make tea. You always look so skilled and coordinated.”

“Ehehe, if you say so…” Hajime blushed.

The kitchen was deserted but for the two of them. Tomoya watched as Hajime busied himself preparing the tea bags, boiling the water, and heating the teapot. He was whistling cheerily out of habit as he worked with practiced experience, timing everything perfectly.

As Hajime set aside the teapot to let the tea steep, Tomoya started looking around the kitchen. Kirakuma had certainly provided them with enough supplies to make a full-on banquet if they wished—there was an abundance of kitchen supplies all placed neatly in rows, and in the refrigerator there was plenty of meat and vegetables to cook with. In fact, there were even a few exotic food supplies, from tropical fruits to freshly caught lobsters and fish kept in ice buckets. Now, surely that wasn’t necessary, Tomoya laughed a little. It’s not as if they would want to have an exquisite dinner in the midst of a killing game.

As a precaution, Tomoya counted the number of things in the kitchen that could be used as a weapon. It mainly consisted of a great variety of knives, from small breadknives to larger ones that looked like it could cut through bone. That was terrifying. Still, all the knives were hung on racks and looked clean. One looked like it had just been washed; he could faintly see a few water droplets still clinging to its handle. None of them were missing, which was a relief—that meant no one had stolen them for dangerous purposes. Then again, there were deadly arrows in the archery hall. Maybe there would be more weapons in places he didn’t know about.

 _Stop freaking yourself out_ , he told himself in his head. But that’s not reassuring when already someone had been murdered.

“Tomoya-kun?”

Tomoya jumped out of his daze. “Hajime?”

“Ahaha, the tea is ready. You looked like you were lost in thought for a minute there.” Hajime wore his usual gentle expression, now a lot more relaxed after doing what he enjoyed. “What were you thinking about?”

“Um…nothing,” Tomoya laughed awkwardly. “The smell of the tea is so good, I got a little stunned. You always make the best tea, Hajime.”

Hajime smiled. “Yes, this is my favorite type of herbal tea! I’m glad you like it—anyway, it would taste better outside.” He placed the teapot and two cups on a tray gingerly, and pushed open the kitchen door.

Tomoya followed. He knew it wouldn’t help to worry Hajime over what he was thinking about. The fragile boy would get frightened easily, and then he’d never forgive himself. Instead, he made up his mind to put everything he could into the investigation and trial after this. He was going to bring Hajime out of this alive—he swore with all his heart.

 

\--

 

On second thought, Mao decided, bringing Ritsu the whole way along with him probably wasn’t such a good idea.

“Maa-kun, slow down,” the sleepy vampire complained. Mao was half dragging, half hefting him up the stairs. He was giving him a hard time, but things would be easier for both of them if Ritsu could just get up and _walk_.

“No, Ritsu. Wake up already. You’ve slept for long enough. And besides, the trial will be coming up. You can’t sleep through that, right?”

“I’ll wake up when that happens,” Ritsu said. “But if there’s even one more minute left, that’s still my precious time to rest. That bear had the nerve to wake me up with that announcement, after all. I hardly slept last night, so let me sleep.”

“Then should I leave you in the middle of the hallway while I go check on the student council office?”

“Noooo,” Ritsu whined. “Take me with you, Maa-kun.”

Mao sighed. For maybe the fifth time that day.

He still dragged Ritsu all the way up to the third floor and up to the doors of the student council office. The past two hours, as the only person who was free to talk to both teams, he had been asking around for witnesses or observations, but no one seemed to know anything. Now, he felt an urgent need to check on this place one last time before the trial started. Somehow, he didn’t think the attack on the room was just a prank. He had asked everyone on Team Chiaki that he could get a hold of, and no one had confessed to it. If it was only a prank, why would someone bother hiding it now? Mao was certain it had _something_ to do with the murder. He just needed to figure out what.

He pushed against the doors, and then blinked as the doors didn’t budge. They were locked.

This was strange. Why would they be locked? Was someone inside? He banged on the door. “Anyone in there?” But no one responded.

If it wasn’t locked from the inside, then perhaps one of the student council members came around with the key and locked it from the outside. But why? Regardless, he couldn’t open it, because only Eichi and Keito had keys to the room. He felt a greater and greater sense of foreboding.

Something important was in there.

The thought had barely formed coherently in his mind before the loud announcement crackled through the air.

_“Investigation time is over, you lot. Class Trial will start momentarily. All students, please gather at the entrance to the auditorium immediately. Failure to do so will result in death.”_

Mao swallowed hard. He would have liked some more time to investigate the room, but he supposed it couldn’t be helped. He patted Ritsu’s shoulder. The vampire was finally awake now.

“Let’s go, Maa-kun.” Ritsu’s eyes were glinting red. “I won’t let you die.”

“Same here.”

They arrived at the entrance of the auditorium in sync with everyone else. The doors weren’t open yet; everyone coalesced around the entrance, forming three lines by year group as they were used to doing before school assemblies. Mao noticed Keito and Yuzuru being led in by Souma before separating to join their respective lines. No one said a word. The tension was thick and tangible as everyone prepared themselves for their fate.

Once everyone had lined up, the doors to the auditorium slowly opened.

There were thirty-six of them present. Amongst them, one was the killer.

The game of suspicion, accusation, and judgment had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shu being bad with blood is a headcanon of mine but I thought it fits his character, and it may turn out to be useful in later stages...perhaps...
> 
> Also as of this point you have nearly all the information you need to deduct the culprit! If there are any mystery enthusiasts out there I'd be glad to hear what you think. You can find me on twitter @Quella_xx if anyone wants to discuss the case in more detail!
> 
> Until the trial, then!!


	5. 1.4 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new wave of frustration seeped over all the students. Mao felt it acutely—everything felt so close, like they were getting somewhere, but it still didn’t fully add up. It was like they were being led in circles by the killer. What were they still missing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The trial is finally here! I spent a lot of time checking to make sure the logic works out, answering questions and plugging any stray holes. I'm pretty confident it's complete now, but if anything seems inconsistent don't hesitate to point it out, and I'll fix it.
> 
> This time I used third person omniscient instead of third person limited, which integrates everyone more easily. I'll probably continue to do this for the trials only.
> 
> And finally, the culprit WILL be revealed this chapter so this is your last chance to make a guess! With that said, please enjoy!

Once they walked into the auditorium, everyone gasped.

It was the stage.

It was perfectly identical to the stage that Ryuseitai had used for their Repayment Festival.

Neon lights flashed against a dark purple-colored backdrop with sparkles like glittering stars in the night sky. The stage was complete with brightly colored revolving orbs and a large pink heart as the centerpiece. Just seeing the stage made Tetora remember how dazzling Chiaki had been when he stood on it for his final performance as a third year. It almost made him cry again.

On the stage, however, there was something very unfamiliar indeed—a large ring of small platforms separated with railings on the side, each the perfect size for one person to stand on. Each had a label with one student’s name on it, so one could only infer that everyone had a place.

“Well? What are you lot waiting for?” Kirakuma’s obnoxious voice echoed through the room. The voice originated from the center seat in the front row of the audience, where Kirakuma lounged with a bowl of popcorn in its hands. “Get on stage, and find your spot.”

The students complied, arranging themselves based on their nameplates around the circle. It was clear that the spots were ordered based on year level and class, so 1-A started on the leftmost edge, 2-B was on the opposite side, and 3-B looped back around connecting them. Every spot was occupied save for two—in the center of 3-A, there stood not a person but a large frame held up by a metal pole, bearing a monochrome photo of Chiaki. On top of his face was a large red “X”, drawn in bold strokes. Another identical frame in the middle of 2-A held up Anzu’s picture.

“Hey, Kirakuma.” Izumi pointed towards the stage, as well as Chiaki’s photo, which he was conveniently situated next to. “What’s all this supposed to mean?”

“Well,” the bear chuckled, “It’d be rather harsh to leave someone out just because they’re dead, dontcha think? And the stage setup is, of course, in memory of our latest victim. The discussion is all about him, y’know, so isn’t it natural for him to shine here? He-heh!”

“You bastard,” Tetora growled. “Don’t you dare make fun of Taichou’s death like that.”

“It would do you no good to attack me, y’know. If I don’t like what I’m seeing, I can call an end to the debate immediately, so _bear_ that in mind, wouldja?” Kirakuma cackled at its own joke.

“Ah, right, another reminder to you lot that if the culprit wins this trial, the ‘first-time bonus’ applies and he can take one person out with him!” Kirakuma added. “The stakes are high! I’m looking forward to this, he-heh.”

“All right then, let’s get this started,” Hokuto addressed the crowd matter-of-factly. “What should we discuss first?”

“Getting that vice president bastard—or the butler guy, or both—to confess their crime, of course!” Koga yelled. “Give it up already. No one else could have shot that arrow.”

“That is not definite evidence,” Keito argued. “I say that everyone goes over the evidence they’ve gathered before we start making accusations. That way, Fushimi and I, who were so kindly removed from the investigation, can also get a hold of the situation.”

“There’s no need,” Koga scoffed. “Look. You or that butler guy—I don’t know who—saw the student council office attacked this morning, and then went to look. To defend yourself, you got your weapons from the archery hall. And then you spotted Morisawa behind the school, and you’re so enraged that you shoot him dead from behind. It’s obvious, ain’t it?”

“Even if that were a true story, you still could not decide which of us did it,” Keito responded calmly. “Only one killer may be executed per trial, correct? Do you plan on guessing, and risking your lives over a 50-50 chance?”

It was a fair point.

“What I think vice president-sama means is, there’s still a need to go over the evidence,” Yuzuru added. “And as we do that, I believe our suspicion may be washed away as well.”

“Well then, may I begin by asking one thing?” Tsukasa inquired. “Hasumi-senpai, when did you come across the attack of the student council office? If it were just before the meeting, I don’t think there would have been time to commit the murder.”

“Around 7:30 exactly,” Keito said. “The student council members were asked to a meeting at that time. Eichi, Himemiya, Isara. Is that correct?” They all nodded.

“A secret meeting of the student council, huh…” Koga glared at him. “That sounds pretty damn suspicious to me. Besides, Morisawa was killed at 7:45, was it? That’s more than enough time for you to kill him!”

“Hold on,” someone interjected. It was Mao, holding up his hand and looking serious. “7:45, you said? I didn’t memorize the time, but if it’s as you say…”

“It is,” Makoto pulled out his ID card, which still had the Kirakuma files displayed on it. “The time of death is 7:45 AM.”

“—Then neither of them could have done it!” Mao declared.

“Huh?” A collective display of confusion.

“Both vice president and Yuzuru have an alibi,” Mao said. “That’s because I was with them.”

Several people looked perplexed, but both Keito and Yuzuru nodded.

“That’s right,” Yuzuru confirmed. “I was about to point that out, once I heard the time. Isara-sama had caught up with both of us at around 7:40, if I remember correctly.”

“What do you mean exactly, ‘caught up with you’?” Souma asked.

“I believe I had told you to split up after discovering the attack,” Eichi also addressed Keito with a puzzled expression. “What made you three join up again?”

“It was because of me,” Mao explained. “We started by splitting up. But halfway through, I remembered the rule that one person can only kill two people at once. That meant that if we formed a group of three, we’d be a lot safer.”

“Indeed, that’s something I hadn’t thought about.” Eichi raised his eyebrows. “As expected of you, Isara.”

“That’s when I tried hunting you guys down—I eventually found Yuzuru first, and then vice president,” Mao continued. “We moved together after that, all the way until we heard the body discovery announcement. Then we went to get Tori, who was locked in the student council office, and went straight to the crime scene.”

“Wait—Tori-kun was locked in the student council office?” Hajime looked shocked.

“President asked me to, in order to keep me safe!” Tori explained. “I stayed in there and locked the door the whole time so the killer couldn’t get to me. And I didn’t come out until Yuzuru, vice president and Isara came to get me.”

“And Sari~ is neutral, so if they’re together, they wouldn’t commit a crime~!” Subaru exclaimed.

“This means we’re in the clear, correct?” Keito looked to Koga, who didn’t look very happy.

“Yeah…I guess that _is_ an alibi. —But, are you sure that Isara is neutral?” he challenged. “Maybe he was on your side all along and hid that to gain our trust, huh, shitty glasses?”

“Isara-dono would never do that! I would vouch for him, de gozaru!” Shinobu yelled.

“Ahem,” someone said.

“How do you know?! He could have converted right when he saw the attack, out of hatred, or fear!” Koga retorted.

“Ahem,” someone said again.

“Um…I think Kanata-kun has something to say?” Tsumugi said meekly. He was standing next to Kanata, who looked just slightly annoyed. The room quieted.

“I would just like to ‘say’ that I found ‘evidence’ against your version of the ‘story’,” Kanata looked Koga in the eye calmly. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up.

“This is a ‘note’ that I found in Chiaki’s ‘dorm’,” he said. And then he read out its contents slowly and clearly.

_“To Morisawa Chiaki. Would you please meet me tomorrow before the group meeting at 7:45 AM, behind the eastern school building? I have something urgent I need to consult with you. Please ensure no one else sees this note.”_

“Someone had ‘invited’ Chiaki to a ‘meeting’,” Kanata continued. “And this ‘someone’ did it last ‘night’.”

“Oh,” Hinata yelled out. “ _Oh!_ ”

“What is it…?” Midori asked him.

“The killer had already planned to meet Chiaki alone and kill him last night! But, the attack on the student council office was this morning. It couldn’t possibly be a spur-of-the-moment decision!” Hinata grinned. “I’m smart, aren’t I?”

A slight but audible groan from Yuuta could be heard.

“That is ‘correct’,” Kanata said. “The ‘killer’ had planned far in ‘advance’…It was not because of the ‘attack’. Hasumi has no reason to commit this ‘murder’.”

Even Keito himself was quite surprised, as this was news to him. “So there was a murderer lurking from last night then. If I had noticed, I could have stopped him.”

“Well then,” Yuzuru said with his usual polite smile, “I believe our suspicion is cleared. Shall we move on to discuss any other suspects?”

Koga muttered something under his breath, but let the issue go. Keito and Yuzuru were officially clean, for now.

“But what I don’t get is,” Kaoru pointed out, “Who else could have shot that arrow? It can’t possibly be the two members from Moricchi’s team, right?”

“It was definitely not me or Leader!” Tsukasa stated.

“Suu-chan,” Ritsu said. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but—do you have anything to prove your innocence? Right now, it’s hard to imagine anyone else committing the crime, so we have to be thorough here.”

“I—” Tsukasa looked a little rattled as he tried to gather his thoughts, but then straightened up. “In fact, I do. Leader and I have an alibi because we were eating in the cafeteria at that time, correct? Plenty of people were in there with us—most of the people who attended the meeting, I believe. Everyone can verify this.”

“That’s right, Sora saw both of them~!” Sora called out. “Tsuka-chan was sitting with Sora and Mitsu-chan, and his senpai was on the next table over! Sora remembers their colors very clearly!”

“That’s right, I saw them too, yanno!” Mitsuru said. “We were together the whole time until we went out to the meeting right before it was gonna start.”

“Well then, it looks like Kasa-kun and Ou-sama are cleared.” Izumi tapped on the edge of his railing impatiently. “Now what?”

“Maybe instead of shooting the arrow, someone stabbed Taichou with it?” Tetora suggested. “If they have enough strength, it might be possible…”

“That’s unlikely.” Keito pushed up his glasses. “It would take great force and the victim would most likely struggle against it. If one were to stab with an arrow, the neck would be a much more logical place to target.”

“Hmm~,” Leo cocked his head at what the vice president said. “That makes me think of something, though! Does anyone have a picture of the body? I have to see it to believe it!”

“Here,” Arashi said, taking out the picture he had taken of Chiaki’s back. He passed it down along the circle to Leo, who studied it intently for a few seconds.

“That’s right! Wahahahaha! The mystery is solved!” he yelled out suddenly. “The arrow wasn’t the weapon they used! That’s not an arrow wound! I’m a genius!”

“Wh-What do you mean, Leader?” Tsukasa asked, startled.

“Look at it yourself,” Leo said, passing the card back down the circle. “An arrow wound wouldn’t be so—sharp and thin, right? It would be rounder! I bet it was a _knife_ instead!”

“And how could you possibly know that, Tsukinaga-kun?” Eichi inquired, eyebrows raised.

“Imagination, that’s all~!” Leo laughed. “You can picture anything if you just think about it, just like composing music!”

“I think…” Mao leaned over the railing, deep in thought. “It’s possible. The killer first stabbed him with a knife, and then put in an arrow to frame vice president, maybe.”

Everyone looked uneasy at that. Shooting an arrow was one thing, but stabbing Chiaki with a knife, and as if that wasn’t enough, _putting in_ an arrow was a whole new level of scary.

“You speak of a knife, but where would it be?” Rei asked. “There wasn’t a knife at the scene. Did anyone notice one lying around the school?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Wasn’t there a knife in the student council room?” Kaoru asked.

“But that was locked in the room with Tori the entire time, so no one could have used it,” Eichi said. “Is that correct, Tori?” The small first year nodded.

“Are we sure we covered every corner of the school?” Kuro asked. “Maybe we didn’t find it.”

“Akehoshi and I directed at least one person from each club to check the clubrooms,” Hokuto explained. “The crime happened before 8:00 AM, when all the classrooms and a few other areas were locked, so the weapon can’t be in those places. It would also be hard to bring a weapon into the dorms, which are shared. Excluding these places, I believe we’ve checked everywhere.”

“There are still plenty of secret passages and locations that no one knows abOUT,” said Natsume. “Someone may have used thOSE.”

“I think you’re the one most knowledgeable about them, Sakasaki,” Hokuto pointed out. “Are you confessing your own guilt?”

“No,” Natsume responded, a bit flustered as he realized he had messed up.

And then Tomoya realized something. Really, it was obvious.

“Guys,” he said. “It was hidden in plain sight. The killer just took it back to the kitchen.”

“The kitchen?” Tetora inquired.

“Yes. Hajime and I were in the kitchen not long ago. I think one of the knives had just been washed—it’s not certain, but it’s definitely possible, that the killer took one, used it, and brought it back to wash it off and hang it back up again,” he explained.

Nazuna nodded at his junior’s words. “That’s a pretty believable explanation, Tomo-chin.”

“Alright, so,” Izumi said, “Let’s go over this. The killer takes a knife from the kitchen, and waits for Morisawa at the arranged location. Then, once Morisawa comes, he stabs him in the back. He takes out the knife, leaves, washes it and returns it in the kitchen, then goes to the archery hall to pick up an arrow and puts it in the body to frame Hasumi. Correct?”

A few nods of approval, but then Arashi raises his hand and waves it cutely. “Izumi-chan.”

“This isn’t class, Naru-kun. Just talk.”

“I think that can’t be the case. You see…when you stab someone in the back, you get dirty. Because of the blood. Right?” Arashi flipped through a few photos on his ID card. “Look here, I took a picture right when everyone got to the crime scene. No one has blood all over them, right?”

It was true. In the photo, everyone’s uniform was spotless.

“There would have been enough time for someone to go and change,” Yuuta pointed out.

“But we don’t have spare uniforms to change into,” Arashi said. “Trust me, I’ve looked real hard—I don’t want to wear the same thing for days, but I think we have to.”

“Ah, I forgot to tell you lot,” Kirakuma jumped in while munching on its popcorn. “Laundry will be done every five days. Clean clothes will be delivered to you then, so don’t fret.”

“All right,” Izumi said, annoyed at the direction the conversation was going into. “This is a big problem, though—how could someone have stabbed him without getting blood on them? So was it the arrow after all?”

“No matter what, it must have been done at a distance,” Hokuto concluded.

“You aren’t saying that…someone within us has the skill of throwing a knife over a long distance, _and_ with enough force and precision to kill in one strike?” Koga crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. “No way that’s possible.”

“Wataru nii-sAN,” Natsume inquired, “Would you be able TO?”

“Nay, despite the fact that I am an entertainer, I am more of a magician than a dagger-thrower!” Wataru laughed. “Sadly, I am not omnipotent, Natsume-kun.”

“Well, if even Wataru nii-san can’t do it, then no one CAN,” Natsume declared.

A new wave of frustration seeped over all the students. Mao felt it acutely—everything felt so close, like they were getting somewhere, but it still didn’t fully add up. It was like they were being led in circles by the killer. What were they still missing?

On one side of him, Mao noticed Mika getting a little nervous and fidgety. He leaned over the railing and looked across the circle until he linked gazes with Shu. “Oshi-san…d’you think we should tell them now?” he asked uneasily.

“Tell us _what_ , Mika-chan?” Arashi urged from next to him.

“Go ahead, Kagehira. There’s no harm in bringing it up,” Shu said.

“Nn, all right. ’s about the mannequin,” Mika said. His cheeks flushed red as everyone’s gazes turned toward him.

“Durin’ investigation, oshi-san an’ I went to the Handicrafts clubroom, an’ we found that one of our mannequins had been moved from its spot, an’ it had some blood on it.” Everyone’s eyes grew wide at that, and the group erupted into confused whispers and discussion again.

“ _Please_ , guys, quiet down!” Arashi said. “Mika-chan isn’t finished yet.”

“Th-thanks, Naru-chan,” Mika gave him a weak smile as the room finally quieted. “Um, I took a picture if you all want to see what it looked like. When I firs’ saw it I thought it was a corpse. It looked pretty scary.”

He held out his ID card where he had captured the mannequin lying on the floor of the Handicrafts clubroom. Arashi took a close look—he was closest to Mika—and realized that it _did_ look like a corpse at first glance. The way the limbs hung limply and the lifeless state of the body was quite unnerving indeed. Not to mention the blood.

“Itsuki, that thing was moved from the clubroom?” Kuro asked, brows furrowed.

“Yes. It was placed behind the door, which I would never think to do, so someone had certainly moved it. Also, according to Kagehira, the mannequin has been soiled, so it was likely taken outside,” Shu affirmed. “We stayed until very late in the clubroom last night—past midnight—and it was there when we left, so it was most likely taken in the early morning.”

“That’s right!” Mika flicked to another photo, a close-up of the back of the mannequin. “See, here—‘s covered in dirt, right? An’ I don’t know what this white stuff is, but it’s kinda like chalk dust…”

“Chalk dust?” Arashi interrupted him, shocked. “Mika-chan, did you say chalk dust?”

“Um, yeah…?”

“Oh, my,” Arashi exclaimed. “I had forgotten! I found chalk dust—that is, chalk—at the scene as well!”

“What do you mean, Narukami-senpai?” Tsukasa asked anxiously.

“Here!” Arashi took out the photo he had taken of the crime scene, after Chiaki’s body was moved aside. “There was a mark drawn on the ground in white chalk, do you see it? It’s a really small ‘X’, and it’s been rubbed off a little, but it’s there, and it might be where the chalk dust on the mannequin came from!”

“You’re right, Naru-chan,” Mika looked relieved. “That explains a lot!”

“So, Narukami, you are indicating that the killer placed the mannequin on the ground at the crime scene, where the ‘X’ had been marked,” Shu contemplated. “That may also explain the blood, if Morisawa had died close to it and his blood had stained the mannequin. But for heavens’ sake, _why?_ ”

“Indeed, why would anyone put a mannequin at the crime scene at a marked location…?” Rei questioned. “I would understand if someone wore the costume to avoid getting blood on them, but then there would be no reason to move the entire mannequin.”

The room was quiet. No one had any answers.

“Umm, since it had Morisawa-senpai’s blood on it, it had to be there from before he died, right?” Midori ventured. “So would you say that…it’s part of a trap…?”

“A trap to snare the victim?” Kaoru said. “You know, I bet it would work—that thing looks like a dead body, right? If it’s that Morrichi and he saw it lying there, I bet he’d go flying over in an instant and try to save it before he realized it wasn’t real.” He laughed a little.

Koga nodded when he heard that. He wasn’t especially familiar with Chiaki, but he knew that guy liked to act like a hero so much it was annoying. He could easily imagine Chiaki seeing a dead body on the ground, panicking, and then rushing forward blindly to try and help it—and then Koga’s mind flashed, and he was struck by a vivid sense of déjà vu—that’s right, he had seen this before, right? And in his mind’s eye suddenly it wasn’t Chiaki bent over a faux dead body, it was himself, scared and panicking as he bent over Anzu’s body, reaching down to grab her by the shoulders, shaking her to force even the last of her breath out of her, cupping her face to try and awaken her, even if he knew it was useless—and then he had looked up, and the bear was there, ready to punish him as he stayed helpless on the ground, knowing his back was exposed to it, it was _above him_ —

He gasped.

Next to him, Ritsu’s head also snapped up immediately. It seems they had come to the same conclusion at the exact same time.

 _“—It was from above!”_ they both yelled.

The entire circle stared at them, uncomprehending.

Koga was breathing hard. “It was a trap. All of this was a trap to get at Morisawa!”

Eichi looked at them with his usual unreadable smile. “Oogami-kun, Ritsu-kun. Might you both explain to the group what you mean by that?”

“It’s just like what Hakaze-senpai said,” Koga explained. “Morisawa would see that mannequin and then rush over to help it.”

Ritsu jumped in as well. “The killer had planned for this and placed the mannequin in a specific spot. When Chiaki-kun sees the ‘body’, the first thing he’ll do is bend over and shake it or get a closer look at it. It’s the natural reaction.”

“And then for a split second there, his back ain’t vertical anymore—it’s _flat_ ,” Koga continued.

“Which means…someone could have dropped a knife from _on top of him_ , and it would have pierced straight through,” Ritsu concluded.

The entire room was hushed. Indeed, this was a technique that no one had ever heard of before—instead of impaling Chiaki’s back when it was straight, getting him to bend down would allow gravity to do the work, without a need to throw anything. If he were in the right position, it would also be easy to aim and kill in one shot. This allowed a clean attack from a distance.

Which means, the attacker would have been somewhere directly above him…

“Narukami,” Mao said tensely, “You have that wide photo you took of the crime scene, right? Can I see it?”

“Yes, of course,” Arashi responded, taking out the photo.

In it, Mao could see Chiaki’s body lying beneath the school building. His stomach sank as he saw that directly above Chiaki’s body, on the third floor, the windows were open.

“The open windows here…” He rummaged through his memory and came to a slow, horrifying conclusion. “That’s the student council office.”

That meant only one thing.

Mao turned through the crowd until he faced a pair of wide, terrified green eyes.

“Himemiya Tori…don’t tell me, it was you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you go...
> 
> But of course the trial is far from over, there are still things left unanswered such as the motive of the killer, for example. It might be easier to guess at this stage...The next chapter will conclude this round so stay tuned!
> 
> In the meantime, I'd really appreciate comments on how this trial went, were you expecting this twist? Some people managed to figure out parts of it which were really impressive! I'd love to hear your theories on the motive as well.


	6. 1.5 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Now, lo and behold, the most exciting part of the show is here!” Kirakuma announced grandiosely. “For every murderer there is an execution. Watch, little idols, as judgment is laid upon your friend—a rightful end for a terrible murderer!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the last chapter of the first round. This was a very hard chapter to write (for a number of reasons) and I tried my best to make sure all questions are solved, so please enjoy!
> 
> Also, the execution is slightly violent and may be triggering for some people, so be warned.

He was trembling all over. Mao could see him biting his lip in anguish and his fists clenching the railing so hard his knuckles were white. The small pink-haired boy looked terrified, and Mao was suddenly scared he had made a huge mistake. Tori acted bratty sometimes, but to say that he would kill someone—?

“Wh-Why are you saying I did it, Isara-senpai?” Tori asked, his voice shaking.

“I don’t get it either,” Hajime said, eyes wide. “Why does it have to be Tori-kun?”

“Isara is right,” Keito said, having caught on to Mao’s line of thought. “According to the photo, the killer must have dropped the knife from the window on the third floor, which is the student council office. You were the only one in the student council office at that time, Himemiya.”

“You said it yourself earlier—you stayed inside for the whole time, right?” Mao felt pained to be pushing Tori like this, but he had no choice. “And besides, now it makes sense. _You could have used the knife in the student council room._ We overlooked it because we thought the crime took place outside, but—it happened in the room all along.”

Tori squeaked, realizing he could say nothing to defend against that. He blinked once, then twice, rapidly. He was fighting back tears as he struggled for something, _anything_ he could say. He didn’t want to break down now, but still the tears threatened to spill…

“—I will _not_ accept this!” A sudden shout rang out through the circle. It was Yuzuru, looking absolutely furious as he slammed a fist on the railing.

“How dare you, Isara-sama, accuse my young master of murder? This is, without a doubt, another sick, twisted ploy set up by the real killer to frame my young master. I will not forgive the person that has done this.” Yuzuru was seething.

“Yuzuru…” Tori looked towards his butler in surprise.

“I don’t want to accuse Himemiya, either,” Mao said. “But all the evidence points towards him and him alone.”

“Is that so? Then I have an objection to make,” Yuzuru said coldly. “How, do you suppose, being locked in the student council office from the attack until the discovery of the body, did my young master manage to deal with the crime scene, replacing the knife with an arrow, and removing the mannequin? Even if he _did_ manage to leave and return within that narrow frame of time, without being spotted, what can be said about the setting up of the scene beforehand? As Itsuki-sama and Kagehira-sama have mentioned, the mannequin could only have been stolen in the early morning. The young master did not leave his dorm until it was time for the student council meeting and we moved together at all times. There is no chance at all for him to set up the mannequin.”

Yuzuru paused after his long speech. It was as if he was glaring simultaneously at every student in the circle, challenging them, searching relentlessly for the true culprit to blame. He would not stop, never, until his dear Tori was proven innocent.

“Fushimi has made a good point,” Keito noted. “How should we explain this?”

“Well, I think it’s quite clear that our Himemiya-kun has an accomplice,” Rei chuckled. “I think I may have a few guesses as to who that may be already.”

“An accomplice, huh…” Mao frowned. “That clears things up a lot…but who are you thinking of, Sakuma-senpai?”

“Rei, I gather that your guess is identical to mine,” Wataru commented. “Let’s make this more interesting—how about we both point to the person we’re thinking of, on a count of three?”

“Why not?” Rei was smiling like this was all good fun. “You always do like making things dramatic. All right then, counting—one, two…”

“—Three!”

Both hands pointed to Eichi.

The accused emperor blinked, and then gave a soft laugh. Rei and Wataru watched him as he began to applaud gently.

“Well done, well done. Really, wonderfully played. I couldn’t have done better myself.”

Tori looked shocked. “President! You can’t!”

“Now, do not panic, cute Tori.” Eichi maintained a calm expression as he glanced toward his beloved junior. “Shall we hear the accusatory evidence, first, then?”

“Well, you are not hard to figure out, Eichi.” Wataru spread his arms in a dramatic flourish. “This morning, it was you who woke at the crack of dawn and snuck out of the dorm, assuming I was asleep, was it not? You should never be too trusting of a roommate—many secrets are exposed this way.” He chuckled.

“So you were awake,” Eichi said. “Of course, it was foolish of me to think I could deceive you. It is my loss. And you, Sakuma-kun? What made you guess it was me?”

“It was just that—an old man’s hunch,” Rei said. “But you are the one Himemiya-kun is closest to, correct? If there was anyone who could talk Himemiya-kun into killing someone, it is you, ‘Emperor’ Tenshouin-kun.”

“President didn’t ‘talk me into’ killing someone!” Tori objected. “I volunteered to do it for him! It was—it was all my fault. I did it. President wasn’t wrong!”

“Tori,” Eichi said, and Tori fell silent.

“Well, I suppose there’s enough evidence already,” Eichi continued. “So there’s no need to do any more hiding. I was Tori’s accomplice in this murder. I did the planning and most of the preparatory work. I also cleaned up the crime scene afterwards.”

“So…all of this was your idea, Ecchan?” Ritsu asked.

“Yes. I convinced Tori to assist me. It was quite a difficult feat to pull off with the two of us,” Eichi laughed. “You see, I had hatched the idea a while ago and pitched it to Tori. He agreed to assist me and use the ‘first-time bonus’ to bring me out with him. For the two days before this, we had been preparing ceaselessly. It is tremendously difficult to drop a knife and have it hit where you want it—we practiced in the student council office for hours. The position of the mannequin also had to be precisely fixed.”

“Then, on the day beforehand, I asked Tori to distract Takamine-kun while I dropped off the invitation for Morisawa-kun at his dorm. That was to ensure the invitation was not discovered by anyone else. We meant to have the student council office to ourselves the next morning, but unfortunately, Keito called us to a surprise meeting. That meant I had to think of another way to divert everyone else from the room so Tori could proceed with the plan.” Eichi smiled.

“Divert us…you mean…” Keito suddenly realized. “You mean, _you_ staged the attack on the student council office?”

“Exactly. It was an easy way I could think of to spread you apart, as well as create more hostility between the two teams,” Eichi explained. “I did it in the early morning after preparing the mannequin. The knife was, as you have figured out, the weapon that Tori used. For the effect of blood, I cut up a fish in the kitchen. It was quite successful in delivering a scare, wasn’t it?”

“So that’s where the blood came from…” Mao said.

“And so while we were searching for the nonexistent ‘attacker’, Himemiya committed the murder, and you cleaned up after him,” Keito shook his head in disbelief. “But why did you choose to frame me?”

“You were a convenient person to frame,” Eichi said breezily. “That, and you can treat it as a joke played on an old friend, if you will. I was interested in seeing your reaction.”

“You—” For a moment, Keito looked like he wanted to punch Eichi, but he didn’t. He just pushed up his glasses in irritation. “How incorrigible.”

“So after the murder I switched the knife and the arrow,” Eichi continued, “And returned the knife to the kitchen. I also returned the mannequin. I must say that hefting that thing around has strained my weak body terribly…I could barely get it past the door before nearly fainting myself.” He wiped at his forehead for good measure.

“I do not feel an ounce of pity for you,” Shu snapped at him, “After what you have done.”

“Well, it _is_ a great shame about the costume…” Eichi replied, still smiling. “I apologize for that.”

Mao jumped in. “And during investigation, President, you locked the doors of the student council office in order to hide the fact that the knife was missing, didn’t you?”

“Correct. I see that you’ve investigated very thoroughly, Isara,” Eichi said. “And truly, all of you have outperformed my expectations. You all shined so brightly when you pieced the whole thing together—I was absolutely stunned. This was a performance of the highest standards.”

The stage was quiet. The emperor had said those words as if they were performing in a scintillating live, rather than exposing a murderer. Nothing felt real anymore—it reminded Rei of the dark days of Yumenosaki Academy, when he returned from overseas to find his authority stripped and Eichi’s empire built on top of it. That was the sort of power Eichi had. In the blink of an eye, he could distort and shape the world in front of them exactly the way he wished to.

“President-sama,” A cold voice rang out. It was Yuzuru, now looking at Eichi with an expression less of anger and more of utter despise. “You’re saying that you single-handedly orchestrated this—you turned my young master into a murderer?”

“Please, Yuzuru!” Tori begged. “It’s not like that. Please don’t hate President. I agreed myself because I wanted to leave…because I still have a dream to fulfill…” He was crying now. “P-President told me that he wanted a chance to stand on a stage with me again. And I was afraid that if we didn’t do something now, we would never be able to leave together… I didn’t want that! I still want to make my parents proud, grow stronger and become a better idol, and—and bring all of the things I learned from everyone here out with me…” He buried his face in his hands. “I’m sorry. I was too cowardly. But don’t hate President! President took all the difficult work—all the preparation and even the cleanup—because he cared for me. President wanted nothing but the best for me…”

Even Yuzuru couldn’t maintain his air of hatred when he was begged like that. He looked helplessly across the circle, where Tori had completely broken down into tears. “Young master…If you wished, I would have killed for you without complaint. But you wouldn’t want that, would you? You want President-sama, and no one else. I’m not good enough for you.”

Tori buried his head in his hands as muffled whimpers escaped through them. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry, Yuzuru…”

“Tori,” Eichi called for him, and he looked up.

“You did well. I’m proud of you, my beloved Tori.” Eichi was smiling gently, reaching out as if he wanted to cup Tori’s face in his palm. Even with tears and snot running down his face, Tori still managed to look adorable. “Smile for me, alright?”

“Okay.” Tori wiped his face clean, and put on the best smile he could muster. “I’m glad…I made you proud, President.”

“—Now, I’d hate to distract from the emotional little party, you lot!” Kirakuma’s loud voice pierced straight through them, causing everyone to freeze. “But I think it’s time we ended the debate and voted on the culprit!”

“No!” Yuzuru yelled.

Kirakuma ignored him. “Does you all see the monitor located in front of you? Good. Do you see everyone’s name and photo on it? Good. All you lot have to do is choose who you think is the killer. Let’s see if we guessed correctly, shall we?” It cackled once again.

“Kirakuma!” Yuzuru demanded. “Even if Young Master ultimately killed the victim, the plot was Tenshouin’s! Because he is the one who orchestrated all this, wouldn’t it be correct to say he is the murderer?” In his desperation, he had even dropped his polite speech.

“A murderer is a murderer—someone who killed someone else. No more, no less,” Kirakuma stated. It popped the last of its popcorn into its mouth and grinned viciously. “Now, has everyone cast a vote? Yes? Good, good. Let’s reveal the results, then!”

A screen dropped down at the back of the stage and its display switched on. There was a list of all 37 students, and a bar showing the votes they received. Everyone watched in miserable silence as all the votes went to Tori, and an animation played where confetti blasted and the words “CORRECT!” flashed onto the screen in a display of flippant celebration.

“Congratulations, you lot!” Kirakuma grinned. “You passed through the first trial! I enjoyed every second of it. Now, it is time for some fully deserved _punishment!_ ”

Tori looked like he would cry again, but didn’t—instead, he put on his brightest smile and faced Eichi.

“President! Promise me you’ll find a way to survive and leave, all right?”

As he said it, four identical Kirakumas jumped from the wings of the stage, and rushed towards Tori in synchronized motion.

Eichi looked surprised for a moment, but swiftly nodded. “Of course. I promise, cute Tori.”

“Sing a song about me when you get out!”

One of the Kirakumas grabbed Tori by the arms, and another by his legs. He yelped as he was hoisted into the air.

“ _Young Master!_ ” Yuzuru shouted in horror. He turned to leap off his platform and chase them, but the real Kirakuma had already appeared in front of him, holding a razor-sharp blade against his chest.

“There’s nothing you can do to change his fate now,” the bear chuckled. “Better to sit back and watch and enjoy.”

“You…bastard!” Yuzuru yelled, but Tori had already disappeared into the wings of the stage.

“Now, lo and behold, the most exciting part of the show is here!” Kirakuma announced grandiosely. “For every murderer there is an execution. Watch, little idols, as judgment is laid upon your friend—a rightful end for a terrible murderer!”

The bear’s cackle reverberated through the entire auditorium, relentlessly, never fading. The screen on the stage turned to static momentarily, and then cleared up again.

 

\--

 

Tori was standing at the bottom of a set of steps.

Somehow, he had a crown on his head and a cape billowing behind him. They weren’t new. The crown was slightly bent and cracked and had lost the golden shine it may have once had. The cape was equally faded and torn at the sides. But that didn’t matter. Right now, all that Tori could think about were the steps in front of him.

He could feel Eichi calling for him at the top of the steps.

He didn’t know why; it was just an innate sense that pulsed through him, urging him to climb, to go higher and higher until he could see his beloved Emperor again. So he climbed. He scrambled up the steps unrelentingly, forging on despite the fact that he could see no end to his path—the steps continued on seemingly forever skyward, reaching beyond the clouds, extending further than he could ever imagine a mountain to rise. Yet still he continued. He went on until his breathing was ragged and his legs were shaking, but he refused to give up when Eichi was waiting for him.

And after what seemed like an eternity, Tori finally managed to pull himself onto the last step, struggling to breathe from the cold, thin air, standing at the end of his journey.

He was standing on an empty platform. Empty, but for a guillotine awaiting him.

His eyes widened as he realized this would be his final fate—the end of innumerable aristocrats before him, the punishment reserved for royalty.

Tori panicked, looking behind him to see if he could retreat, but somehow, the steps behind him had already disappeared, leaving him stranded with no escape. A gust of wind blew and his legs wobbled, leaving him swaying for a bit before he righted himself. And as he swayed, something clicked in the back of his mind.

That’s right—Eichi was still waiting for him.

In some sort of a trance, he removed his crown and set it on the ground, and then knelt down, positioning himself for certain death. “President,” he whispered.

Despite the fact that no executioner was there, the blade fell right on cue. His head rolled, until it reached the edge of the platform, teetered, and fell—plunging on until it faded out of sight.

 

\--

 

The display clicked off. The stage was engulfed by a stunned silence.

No one had ever seen something like this—a friend sent to an execution so utterly cruel that even the most cold-hearted among them couldn’t bear to watch. A few students were sobbing. Hajime was clutching Tomoya, his head buried in Tomoya’s chest as he cried.

Yuzuru stood with his back to the circle, his expression dangerously featureless. He hadn’t said a word since the execution played.

Mao was shook. “Th-This is crazy. No one deserves that!”

“That’s right…Even if he did kill Taichou…Himemiya-dono still didn’t deserve that, de gozaru!” Shinobu said with tears streaming down his face.

Shu cleared his throat. “I am inclined to agree, but—if there was anyone who truly deserved that punishment, it is _you_ , Tenshouin Eichi.”

“Me?” Eichi responded lightly.

“Yes.” The former member of the Five Oddballs pointed his finger at Eichi with an expression of utter contempt and despise. “I have refrained from saying this earlier, as the child seemed to be entranced with his own glorified illusion, and it would not do to destroy it and layer on more despair in his final moments. But heed this, Tenshouin—you are a wretched, lying, manipulative demon, without a fragment of morality that would deem you even remotely human.”

“Harsh words,” Eichi said. “Might I ask why I deserve that judgment?”

“The reality is clear when you look at it,” Shu went on haughtily. “Your partnership with Himemiya was not out of concern for him. Rather, you have manipulated and used him for nothing but your own benefit. You took advantage of the ‘first-time bonus’ system to create your own safety net in the case that your plot fails. By asking Himemiya to dirty his hands for you, _he_ is the only one who can be executed, while _you_ will not come to any harm! It is a devious plan, Tenshouin. You have not a shred of interest for the child who pledged his love and devotion to you. Instead, you treat him as an object, a pawn to throw away after you are done with him.”

Shu always had a way with words, and this time was no different. Now the entire group turned to stare at Eichi in a mixture of fear and horror. So he had used the “first-time bonus” not to save another, but to protect himself. Tori had been his sacrifice so that he would not die.

Eichi remained expressionless for a few moments before finally speaking.

“You are very perceptive, Itsuki-kun,” he said. “It is true that, as I said, I plan to survive at all costs. When one commits a murder in this game, there is a risk to be run, correct? Without some precaution, I may be sending myself into a death trap. Yet in this situation I am able to escape without facing consequences; it was too valuable an opportunity for me not to take. However, to say that I had no concern for Tori whatsoever would be incorrect. I had hoped against hope that both of us could have survived this together.”

“And you would send the rest of us to our deaths?” Keito demanded. “I assume also that you have picked Himemiya simply for the reason that he is easy to manipulate and would not question your intentions.”

“No. I was acting for the true wishes of both of us.”

The room fell into a long silence. Eventually, Tetora spoke up nervously.

“Um. I didn’t ask this earlier, but…why did you choose Taichou? Why did it have to be him?”

Eichi pondered that question for a bit. “He was an easy target—anyone else would have been suspicious of the note. Also, I _did_ take into consideration the scenario in which our plan failed—in other words, the current situation. I believed that Chiaki’s actions were a tad too dangerous. I would rather remove that threat for the future.”

“That’s too cold…calling Morisawa-senpai a ‘threat’…” Midori mumbled.

“What I’m more interested in,” Izumi interrupted, “is whether or not Tenshouin is going to do it again. You did say you’d survive at any cost, right? So are you going to come back with another plan to kill us?”

To everyone’s surprise, Eichi waved that aside. “No. As I said, there is a risk to run when committing murder. I would not like to face the same fate that poor Tori has gone through today. So until new circumstances arise that will guarantee my safety, I will not take any more action. Rest assured, I now know that you all are not to be underestimated. It would be nearly impossible for me to commit a murder uncaught, especially now that all of you distrust me.”

What Eichi didn’t say was that he had chosen to kill Chiaki for another reason as well. Chiaki was a natural leader—before Keito stepped in, he had almost managed to bond the entire Yumenosaki student body together for his crazy plan. But to someone like Eichi, who planned to win the game, a bonded team was far from a good thing. It is much easier to plot against a scattering of suspecting individuals compared to a group of trusting teammates. He could tell already that the students were beginning to withdraw into themselves, looking at one another with skeptical eyes, wondering if there was another potential killer among them—and Eichi planned to use this to his advantage.

Someday, though. When he could be certain that he would survive.

After all, he had made a promise to Tori, hadn’t he?

“—President, no, Tenshouin-sama.” Someone spoke, jerking him out of his thoughts. It was Yuzuru, affixing a cold and deadly stare on him. “I would just like to inform you that you are no longer the predator within us.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I will never forgive you for using the young master like this. I swear that at some point, when the time is right, I will hunt you down and make an end of you to pay back your debt to the young master. I don’t care if it costs me my life—I _will_ kill you! And you will be the target of everyone else here as well, everyone who believes you have done something terrible and undeserving of salvation. You are not the predator here anymore. You are the weak, helpless prey!”

Eichi’s lips turned up as Yuzuru proclaimed his revenge, gathering every fiber of his hatred and the hatred of everyone around him, turning the world against him.

Perhaps this could be exciting.

As the auditorium doors opened to the light of the outside world again, he was already pondering his next move.

 

\- END OF ROUND 1 -

Survivors: Tetora, Hajime, Tomoya, Hinata, Midori, Shinobu, Yuuta, Mitsuru, Tsukasa, Sora, Subaru, Hokuto, Makoto, Souma, Adonis, Natsume, Koga, Ritsu, Mao, Yuzuru, Arashi, Mika, Keito, Eichi, Kaoru, Izumi, Shu, Madara, Kuro, Wataru, Kanata, Rei, Nazuna, Leo, Tsumugi

Survivor count: 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poor Tori my heart still hurts for him ;_;
> 
> I'd really like to hear what you all think of this ending and this case in general. Was anyone expecting Eichi to be the mastermind? His character was definitely interesting to write and antagonist-y. (and yuzuru's character was totally inspired by gang scout)
> 
> Anyway, I'll be taking a slightly longer hiatus this time to plan out the next case, but after that I'll probably be able to pick up the pace of updating a little more. If anyone has suggestions please tell me and I'll put them into consideration next time! Thank you so much for all the support~!


	7. 2.1 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “To protect yourself, your loved ones, or to fight for what you believe in…That’s when a Knight takes up a weapon, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey and apologies for the long wait, Round 2 is now up and running! It'll be as angst-heavy or maybe even more than the first round, so prepare yourselves!

Who are the “monsters”, and who are the “heroes”?

Given the right circumstances, could an “angel” murder an “innocent victim”?

Could a “hero” perish and leave everything in the hands of the “monsters”?

Kanata bit down on his lip. Perhaps he was thinking a bit too much about these things.

He raised his head up, fountain water splashing beneath him, as he looked out towards the sky. The sun was setting already. He didn’t realize he had been in the fountain for nearly a whole day. Surely, in the normal times, he would have been chastised already—by someone from the Student Council, or a teacher, or Chiaki asking him to get ready for practice. He blew a bubble beneath the water and watched it pop. Those times were long gone.

He stood up and stepped out of the fountain, shaking his wet hair dry. As much as he would have liked to stay, he knew there were more important things to be done. The “monster” would take the place of the “hero” and protect the “children”. There would be no other choice.

The halls of Yumenosaki were eerily quiet as he walked through them. It was late, so perhaps many had already gone back to their dorms to rest, wishing they could forget the terrible things that had happened in the morning. Still, Kanata had a pretty good guess as to where he could find the “children”. He walked until he came across the classroom of 1-A, a lone light flickering though its windows in the dim hall, and pushed open its door cautiously.

There sat the remaining three members of Ryuseitai, huddled in a group, none of them saying anything. Tetora looked up when he saw Kanata poking in his head.

“Oh, Shinkai-senpai. Are you here to check on us? Don’t worry, we’ll be heading back soon…”

“I am ‘worried’ about you. You all are making such sad faces…It’s not good. Remember what Chiaki has ‘taught’ you.”

“I know. We have to be strong without Taichou,” Tetora said, casting his eyes down. “But it’s just…too much at once…”

“And on top of that, a classmate of mine was killed as well, de gozaru…” Shinobu’s eyes filled with tears again, as it wasn’t hard to tell he had been crying quite a bit already.

Midori laid with his head on the table, not looking Kanata in the eye. He mumbled something about wanting to die and go find Taichou himself.

Kanata affixed his gaze to the ground. Truthfully, he didn’t know if he could be strong enough to help the “children”. Chiaki had always been much better at taking care of their underclassmen than himself. Without him, it was as if something at the center holding the five of them together had suddenly fallen away, leaving each of them scrambling in a tangle of empty space.

After a pause, Kanata finally spoke. “I’d like you all to come with me. There’s something that…I want to ‘show’ you.”

“What is it?” Tetora asked, but his senpai simply shook his head and led the way outside the room, leaving them with no choice but to follow.

Kanata led them across the courtyard and into the dormitory building, but did not go upstairs in the direction of his own dorm. Instead, he stopped in front of Midori and Chiaki’s dorm, looking at Midori with a bit of expectancy.

“Umm…You want me to open the door?” Midori looked confused. “I don’t know why we have to go in my dorm, but…okay.”

He swiped his ID card, and the door opened. Kanata walked first into the room, making way for Chiaki’s table and drawers on the left side, and beckoning for the three first years to come closer as well.

“Could it be…Taichou-dono has left something for us?” Shinobu’s eyes widened as he watched Kanata pull open a drawer.

“It’s something I found when I was ‘investigating’ Chiaki’s possessions,” Kanata explained, pulling out a few sheets of paper. “I didn’t ‘show’ you earlier, but I think now you should see it.”

Tetora took the papers from Kanata, and all three first years gathered around to stare. “These are…the blueprints for an escape ship?” he gasped. “So Taichou had been working on these by himself the whole time!”

“So that’s what he was doing last night even after I went to sleep,” Midori said. “I guess he was going to unveil the design during the meeting in the morning. But…” He paged through the blueprints, and shook his head dejectedly. “…the design’s too grand. We couldn’t possibly make something like this.”

Indeed, the sheets depicted a multi-layer war vessel, with enough space to carry all the students, fully equipped with attack posts and defense armor, and enough storage space for months of travel. It was fit for true heroes of justice, or maybe pirates. But everything here was far too grandiose to become a reality.

“That’s so typical of Taichou,” Midori sighed. “He always has his head in the clouds, dreaming of being a hero, of doing extraordinary things…But we live on the Earth and are grounded in reality. His visions are too hot-blooded, too pure, and he never doubts anything. Maybe that’s what got him killed in the end. He’s always hoping for things that couldn’t happen, like this ship…”

“Midori,” Kanata said softly. “Turn the ‘page’ over.”

“Huh…?” Midori looked confused for a moment, and then flipped over the page.

A few moments of silence befell the Ryuseitai members.

The wondrous, fantastical designs for a warship had disappeared. In its place were blueprints of a small, almost starkly plain wooden canoe, which had room for perhaps five people at most, built with simple wooden planks, equipped with two oars. Each component was drawn in much more careful detail, down to individual dimensions, and there were even annotations on where to store supplies and how to signal for help. The drawings were still rough; Chiaki wasn’t much of an artist. But they were genuine. _These_ were what he had truly been working on.

Midori shook his head in disbelief. “Taichou…he…”

Tetora found himself wiping at his eyes. “I never realized…He really was thinking of how to get us out of here. It wasn’t some sort of crazy plan after all.”

“But then—why does he always do these things on his own?” Midori said, looking away miserably.

Shinobu looked a bit hesitant to speak. “Um…It looks like we could build these canoes, but will we be able to build enough to carry all of us? Their capacity is quite small, de gozaru.”

“That’s right,” Kanata replied. “A while ago, Chiaki had asked me what to do in the case that we cannot save ‘everyone’. He knew that we cannot build enough ‘canoes’, and he knew that we cannot evade Kirakuma’s ‘punishment’. He decided that a few would need to ‘sacrifice’ themselves and face the ‘punishment’, so that the ‘younger’ ones could get to safety. He was planning to ‘sacrifice’ himself first.”

Tetora flipped through the last of the pages, until he arrived at the final sheet. On it, Chiaki had scribbled _“I leave it to you guys!!!”_ in big, bold characters.

“No way…This whole time, he was planning—”

“—What do you mean, ‘I leave it to you guys’?” Midori suddenly yelled. “That was stupid of you, Taichou, going on and sacrificing yourself like a hero. You didn’t have to do that at all…We’ll figure a way out of this so that no one will have to die, okay? We’ll show you…that we can do it…”

And that’s when, gripping the pages and holding them close to his heart, he finally burst into tears.

 

\--

 

The next morning, all the students of Yumenosaki were awoken by the jarring voice of Kirakuma crackling through the loudspeakers.

“Good morning, you lot. I have a very important announcement to make for everyone, so please report promptly to the gymnasium at 8:00 AM. Failure to attend will result in punishment, so be on time!”

Izumi groaned and turned over in his bed. He checked the bedside clock—7:00, meaning they had one hour to prepare. He then glanced toward Arashi, his roommate, who was sitting up in his bed and stretching.

“Morning, Izumi-chan. How did you sleep?”

“Terribly. As if anyone could sleep well after what happened yesterday.”

“Hmm. You’re right, it’s not like I slept like a rock either. But worrying over everything won’t make it better, you know? Beauty sleep is still important. I don’t want our good looks ruined by the time we manage to get back home.”

As he said this, Arashi had already begun digging around in his makeup bag, which Izumi guessed was his gift from Kirakuma. He pulled out a small handheld mirror and started checking his reflection. Izumi rolled his eyes.

“You really still act like a brat sometimes, you know? Naru-kun.”

“Awh, don’t be mean. I was just trying to have hope in the fact that we’re going back. If I don’t take care of myself like I’ll be back someday, it’s like I’m resigning myself to dying here. That’s a little sad, isn’t it?”

“Maybe you’re right,” Izumi sighed. “This place is so isolated that it makes me forget about the real world sometimes. What do you think is happening over there? All the idols at Yumenosaki going missing couldn’t possibly not cause a ruckus. Why hasn’t anyone come to look for us?”

“Maybe they are looking,” Arashi suggested, “But just haven’t found us yet.”

“It’s really unthinkable,” Izumi said. “See, even that Tenshouin was abducted. Surely his family has enough power to conduct a global search.”

“Which means they’ll be coming for us very soon, Izumi-chan,” Arashi assured him. “We’ll be back, and we can tell them everything that happened, and the media will present us as the idols that survived this dreadful terror—we’ll be promoted to instant stardom! Good things will come out of this, so don’t worry, okay?”

Izumi smiled halfheartedly at Arashi’s positivity. Even though he wouldn’t admit it, it had cheered him up just a little. They were idols, with a bright future ahead of them. If life on this island was a disaster, at least they could have something to look forward to when they returned.

Except for the two of them who wouldn’t be returning…

He decided to stop thinking about it. Going to breakfast sounded like a much better option.

 

\--

 

After a quick breakfast, everyone gathered in the gym in anticipation of Kirakuma’s new announcement. No one spoke. The students had assembled in their units nearly out of instinct, or because—as Izumi saw it—they were too scared to trust anyone else. The events of the prior day still reverberated in everyone’s minds, but luckily, at the moment, everyone still seemed alive and intact.

As the clock struck 8:00, Kirakuma dropped straight down from the ceiling and landed in the center of the room, causing a few startled yelps in the crowd. The bear wore its usual obnoxious expression, grinning towards the students.

“It’s nice to see you lot! Good to know you all made it here on time. It seems you’re all getting into the rhythm of living here, are you not? Heheh.”

No one dared to answer him, so he went on. “As of my business with you lot today, I’d like to congratulate you on making it through your first murder. An absolutely riveting performance if I may say so myself. So now, you see, since the first level is cleared, you are absolutely deserving of a little piece of reward!”

“Reward?” Izumi narrowed his eyes. “And what would that be? You aren’t going to let us go, are you?”

“No, no, of course not, this is only the first level!” Kirakuma laughed. “There are plenty more that await you in the future. Right now, what I will give you is a little token to perhaps make your adventure in this game a tad easier. I will be opening one of the Unit Practice Rooms to you.”

“Unit Practice Room?” Keito frowned as he heard that. “Why do you think we would need something of that nature?”

“Oh, you’ll see once you enter the room,” Kirakuma smirked. “That is…If you are part of the lucky unit that wins it, of course.”

“Lucky unit? What’s that supposed to mean?” Koga demanded.

“The unit that receives their Unit Practice Room will be determined through a lottery,” Kirakuma explained. “Each unit has their own room, and each room is open only to that unit’s members. Should you be given access to your room, you can open it using your student ID card—but unlike dorm rooms, only members from your unit are allowed inside. Trying to enter a Unit Practice Room that doesn’t belong to you will result in death.”

“Um…The rooms you’re talking about…Could they possibly be the ones Sengoku and I found earlier?” Mao asked. “The ones on the third floor of the dormitory building?”

“Indeed they are, you little detective,” Kirakuma laughed. “I don’t mind you poking your nose around the area, but if you had managed to break into the room, you would have been executed on the spot, so be careful next time, yes? Now, all the unit leaders, please come forth. You’ll be taking part in the lottery that decides which unit gets their lucky gift.”

“Ou-sama,” Izumi nudged Leo. “Go on. We’re counting on your luck.”

“No problem, Sena,” Leo grinned. “Just watch, I’ll take back the prize as easily as I can write a masterpiece!”

Izumi watched as their King walked to the center of the room, joining the ten other unit leaders waiting silently for Kirakuma’s instruction. Izumi noticed that since Ryuseitai was missing their leader, Tetora had been sent out instead, looking a bit nervous as he stood amongst the third years.

“All right then, unit leaders, you will each take one scrap of paper from this jar I’ve prepared,” Kirakuma declared, producing a jar from out of nowhere. “The one who picks the piece with a star drawn on it will be the winner! I promise to you that the system isn’t rigged in any way. That wouldn’t be fun, would it?” He shook the jar several times for good measure. “Well then, it’s all yours!”

Each of the unit leaders picked a piece of paper from the jar, and then unfolded it. Most expressions turned into disappointed frowns, and Izumi found himself holding his breath until—

“I got it! I got it!!” Leo suddenly jumped up and down in the air, waving his piece of paper around like a frenzied child. “It’s fate! The gods have given the ultimate fortune upon me! I’m blessed with not just genius but luck too! Ah, I feel the inspiration already—”

“Lemme see that, Ou-sama,” Izumi said, walking up to Leo and snatching the paper out of his hand. It was true—the paper had a badly scribbled star on it, which he then presented to Kirakuma with a smug grin. “He’s right, we got the paper. This means Knights gets the practice room, right?”

“Yes, indeed,” Kirakuma chuckled. “That will be it for today, then. If anyone else wants another chance at the Unit Practice Room…Then you know what to do.”

“…Commit a murder, huh...” Kaoru muttered. “The rules of this game sure are twisted.”

“Heh-heh-heh,” Kirakuma laughed as he turned to leave. “See, you’re getting it!”

“—Wait, Kirakuma!” Someone said, and the bear turned back.

It was Subaru, his hands on his hips and looking fiercely towards the stuffed animal. His eyes were burning with a hatred and determination only possible from someone with a burning passion like his. The rest of Trickstar stood around him.

“Tell us your purpose in making us participate in this game, Kirakuma!” he yelled. “Because of you, three of our friends have already died. What did they do to deserve this? What did all of us do to deserve this? First Anzu, then Chi-chan-senpai, and then Hime-san…”

“The purpose?” Kirakuma smiled wickedly. “Not everything in life needs to have a purpose, you know. In the eyes of some people you are simply playthings to be messed around with and tossed away at the end.”

“That’s crazy!” Subaru cried. “That’s twisted thinking through and through. None of them were supposed to die—bring them back, you villain!”

Kirakuma paused. “Bring them back?”

“You can do it, can’t you? You can make all sorts of weird things happen here…like turning our school into an island…or the way Hime-san was executed…look, even you’re a talking stuffed animal! It’s illogical, right? This isn’t real, right? So _bring them back!_ ”

“Subaru,” Hokuto warned, putting a cautious hand on his shoulder. “You’re going too far.”

Kirakuma tilted his head. “Now, even if I _could_ bring them back, why would I? That goes against the rules of the game. In fact, it goes against the rules of life—death is death.”

“At least bring Anzu back! She did nothing wrong!”

Immediately calls of support came from the crowd, proclaiming Anzu’s innocence and how much she didn’t deserve to die. The commotion grew so loud that Kirakuma had to stamp his foot on the floor to silence them.

“There’s no use in wishing for someone to come back from the dead, you lot. My, how regrettable. Your little ‘Producer’ who sacrificed herself…Are you crying for her because you feel guilty? Because she was dragged into this game and died before you could properly give her your thanks?”

“That’s right…She did so much for us, but we couldn’t even repay her,” Subaru said.

“Now that I think of it, the game did start at quite a bad timing, didn’t it?” Kirakuma cackled. “You little idols didn’t even have time to give her your final gift—the ‘Gratitude Live’, which all of you planned in secret for her and her alone…”

Izumi blinked once, then twice. His mouth fell open just a little. It was as if something in the room had suddenly fell and shattered to pieces—all the students fell dead silent.

Kirakuma looked around, registering the shocked expressions of all the students around him, and gave a nervous giggle. “Whoops, said a little more than I ought to, huh? Well then, I’ll be gone!”

“ _Wait!_ ” Keito yelled after him, trying to reach out his arm as if to catch him, but the bear simply disappeared straight into the ground.

Everyone stood, completely speechless. Izumi realized that somehow he had grabbed Leo’s arm, and hurriedly let go.

“How…did he know about the ‘Gratitude Live’?” Hajime breathed, his voice quivering. “That was our secret present for Anzu-san, wasn’t it?”

“It was supposed to be a completely confidential project—no one else was supposed to know about it,” Makoto said, wearing a genuinely worried expression. “Not even the teachers, or the students in other departments—Just us.”

“We even went so far as to produce everything from the stage setup to the costumes by ourselves, by hand, in order to keep it secret,” Shu added. “A so-called ‘complete surprise’ for the little girl.”

“Did anyone spill the beans to someone else?” asked Koga. “Y’know, let it slip to your mom during dinner or something.”

Everyone shook their heads. “We were told so many times not to say anything that I think it was fixed in our minds,” Yuuta said. “It was almost like a secret mission.”

“What else might have happened?” Hokuto prodded. “Since they’re a group that kidnapped us, they could have enough power to set up surveillance cameras and bugs during our meetings.”

“But remember, Hidaka-kun,” Eichi said, “I had specifically ordered the meetings to happen in a secure room of the Tenshouin household, and I had even asked my security personnel to ensure the room wasn’t bugged. You all said I was going too far at the time, but it has a purpose now, doesn’t it? I’m quite sure our meetings were confidential.”

“I’m not sure how much we can trust that security of yours, seeing that they didn’t protect you from being kidnapped,” Izumi retorted. It was slightly satisfying seeing Eichi’s smile disappear, if only for a moment.

“But really…all that secrecy, and they still managed to know about it?” Tomoya looked troubled as he contemplated. “Are they top-class secret agents or something?”

“The kidnapping of myself is one matter,” Eichi explained, “Because I sometimes evade my guards’ line of sight to gain some freedom. But when I specifically order security…It’s hard to imagine anyone can break through that.”

“Ugh—what does it all mean? This isn’t becoming supernatural, right? I mean, there are so many weird things happening here.” Hinata clutched at his head. “Maybe the mastermind has superpowers, and that’s how they did it.”

“It doesn’t have to be such an outlandish explanation, Aoi-kun,” Rei said, giving a slight smile toward the first year. “If you think about it, there is another possibility we have not yet mentioned.”

“And what would that be?” Izumi asked.

Rei surveyed the room carefully, his dark red eyes passing over each and one of them slowly before he spoke. “That would be…If the mastermind were one of us.”

 

\--

 

Impossible. Completely absurd.

A major pain in the backside to think about. Really, _really_ annoying.

Izumi sighed a hefty sigh as he followed the rest of Knights up the stairs of the dormitory building. What Rei had said a while ago still troubled him. To think that the one who orchestrated all of this, who put them in a game of mutual killing, was one of their own? He wanted to laugh, and chide that it’s crazy. But he couldn’t. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the idea scared him.

At least, it wouldn’t be anyone from Knights…right?

He glanced around. Leo was at the front of the line, looking completely carefree as he hummed a tune that he probably made up on the spot. Behind him, Ritsu was trudging on while stifling a yawn, and Arashi and Tsukasa were chatting with each other. It seemed so normal, so peaceful—just another day with their troublesome unit members. He didn’t want this feeling to end.

“So! The so-called Unit Practice Room is on the third floor, right?” Leo said, turning around to face the rest of Knights. “But—the stairs end here, on the second floor. How do we get to the third floor?”

“Ah, Sengoku-kun told me how to find the passage!” Tsukasa jumped in. “It’s quite simple—he said that one of the walls here is actually a sliding door. If we open it, it’ll lead to the staircase to the third floor.”

Izumi put his hand at the edge of the wall to his left, and gave a slight pull. A crack appeared between the wall and the edge; he pulled harder, and the wall slid away, revealing another set of stairs behind it. He dusted off his hands. “After you, Ou-sama.”

As they entered the third floor, they found it was just as Kirakuma had said: there were a total of eleven rooms, all of the doors bare except for one, near the center, which now had Knights’ logo inscribed on it.

“So this is our Practice Room,” Arashi said as they gathered before the door. “Kirakuma never said what’s going to be in it, though…”

“It wouldn’t be anything dangerous, would it?” Ritsu took a step back.

“Only one way to find out!” Leo grinned, taking his ID card from his pocket and jumping in front. “We’re going in—are you ready?”

Before any of them could properly respond, he swiped the card, and the door opened.

What was inside made all five of them gasp.

The room was bathed in a dull blue and white. Hanging off the wall neatly were rows upon rows of shiny weapons, from meter-long swords to handheld daggers, their blades glinting in the sunlight, looking sharp enough to slit a throat easily. What’s more, propped up on racks were five sets of full-body armor, complete with shields and billowing capes, slick and shiny and ready to be worn. One could almost imagine they had time-slipped back to medieval days.

“It’s an arsenal,” Tsukasa breathed. “I’d never seen anything like it.”

“Not just an arsenal, but an arsenal specifically for Knights!” Leo exclaimed. “We’re Knights in shining armor, and these are our weapons! It has a poetic beauty to it—It’s been so long since I wrote any new Knights songs—It’s all coming back to me!”

“Goodness, all of these are real?” Arashi said, stepping close to a row of long swords to inspect them. “With this, you could carry out a massacre…”

“It looks like we’ve hit the jackpot then,” Izumi said dryly. “With these tools anyone could easily commit a murder. But we won’t be doing that, would we? It’d be like announcing to the world the murderer is a part of Knights.”

“That’s right,” Ritsu replied. “But in extreme cases, they could serve as a means of self-defense. I think the best strategy right now is not to let anyone know about what’s in this room. We probably can’t avoid the topic forever, but right now, if we tell them we’ll look suspicious. Sneak attacks are also important, right? That’s how we’ve always fought as Knights.”

“These aren’t Live battles, though…It’s real, life-threatening warfare,” Arashi said. “Do you really think we should be using these?”

“To protect yourself, your loved ones, or to fight for what you believe in…That’s when a Knight takes up a weapon, right?” Leo declared. He had already taken a sword off its rack, and held it up with confidence. “These are our secret weapons, no less than the songs I make! We’ll be undefeatable with them! Wahahahaha!”

“Put that back, Ou-sama,” Izumi sighed. “We won’t use these until it’s absolutely necessary, alright? Until we feel danger…like when Kirakuma announced that ‘first-time bonus’ a while ago.”

“And we won’t be using these on each other,” Tsukasa said. Everyone gave a firm nod.

As they all filed out of the room, Izumi couldn’t help but steal a last glance at the array of weaponry inside before closing the door. They were certainly a game-changer. But would he be willing to brandish a sword himself and spill blood? Would he act like the Knight he had been made out to be, and fell enemies on the battlefield just as they had done onstage?

He shook his head. What childish thoughts.

But perhaps, he would want to become a knight in shining armor…if it were for the people he cared for the most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rei talks about mastermind being one of them* *suspense level goes up by 999*
> 
> Anyhow, I'm trying to make things more interesting each round, and this time I'll be focusing on characters that hadn't had much of an appearance in the first round. Also, I have a bit more free time now so I'll tryyyy to update twice per week in the future? But no promises made.
> 
> As usual, comments are appreciated! Feel free to guess who's going to die this time...


	8. 2.2 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this was the closest they could come to a moment of peace and happiness, on this hellish island with an intent to kill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Setting up this round is surprisingly complicated. But please enjoy the calm everyday scenes while you can!
> 
> On another note, I'm terribly sorry for the ending of this chapter. Terribly, terribly sorry.

“Nii-chan! Nii-chan~!”

Nazuna looked up with a start. His three underclassmen from Ra*bits were running towards him while waving. He pulled his lips into a smile and waved back. “Hey, Tomo-chin, Hajime-chin, Mitsuru-chin.”

“We were looking for you all over!” Hajime said, breathlessly. “You just disappeared after the meeting like that—we were worried for a bit.”

“Ah—I just had a few things I wanted to think about,” Nazuna said with an apologetic smile. “Sorry if I made you worry. Do you want to sit down?”

The three first years plopped down on the bench next to him. They were at the tennis courts—Nazuna had come here after Kirakuma’s meeting to try to gather his thoughts alone. Overhead, the bright sunlight filtered down from between the trees, and the crisp, cool breeze ruffled through his hair. He could almost imagine the four of them were simply taking a brief moment to relax on a sunny day between lessons. It was strange, how their beautiful surroundings could mask the terrible things that have happened within.

“Nii-chan,” Tomoya said hesitantly, “If there’s something bothering you, you don’t have to keep it to yourself. You can talk to us about it—I know we’re young and inexperienced, but we want to do whatever we can to support you in return.”

Nazuna nodded. Truth be told, his thoughts were in a jumble right now. Everything that happened in the last few days had made him scared, so much that he was trembling inside. But he wasn’t sure if he was ready to show that to his juniors. Not to mention, all three of them were probably suffering far more than he was right now—wouldn’t breaking down only add on to the heavy burden already on their shoulders?

The small third year remained silent, and so did the other members of Ra*bits. Try as he might, Nazuna couldn’t force out the cheerful grin and “I’m fine” as he always used to.

“I feel like…everyone’s been really sad lately,” Mitsuru said, swinging his legs as he sat. “And I’m sad too. But being sad doesn’t help with anything, yanno. If you’re sad, you should talk about it, and share it…so then it wouldn’t be so sad anymore. That’s what Arashi-chan-senpai always told me!”

“You’re right, Mitsuru-kun,” Hajime gave a small nod. “How about this, then—should we all tell each other what’s been troubling us? I could go first.”

“Are you sure?” Tomoya asked his friend. “I know it’s been horrible for you lately. You don’t have to start if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay, I’ve been wanting to talk about it,” Hajime said with a small smile. “Tomoya-kun, you know this already, but I was crying all night last night,” he confessed. “I…really couldn’t believe that Tori-kun had to leave us…he was one of my best friends, and we were talking just a few days ago…but what made it worse is that he killed someone too.” He sniffled a few times. “I wanted to believe that Tori-kun didn’t mean to. He might seem standoffish at first, but he’s really a kind boy. At least that’s what I always believed.”

Hajime took a deep breath, and then continued. “I thought to myself, then, that he was just following what President told him to do. He didn’t know what he was doing, and went a little too far…But that felt wrong as well, because then I’d be blaming President, and I don’t want to blame him either! In the tea club, President was always so friendly and patient, and I could never believe that he would intentionally harm anyone. But it really was his plan to kill Morisawa-senpai. When I heard what he said during the trial…I just don’t know anymore. I felt scared. I felt like I didn’t really know him at all…” He wiped at his eyes before finally surrendering, burying his face in his hands and letting the tears flow.

“Hajime…” Tomoya put a hand around the crying boy’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll go next!” Mitsuru jumped in. “I’m really sad about losing Hime-chan too. But I feel like it’s not just Hime-chan—a lot of my other friends have also been acting weird, yanno. When I tried to talk to Shinobu-chan from our class, he hurriedly ran away, like he was afraid someone would come after him, yanno! There’s also arguments all the time. When I was eating breakfast with Tsukasa-chan and Sora-chan, they got into an argument, because Tsukasa-chan thought Sora-chan was being too happy-go-lucky about the situation, and he thought it wasn’t right, yanno. But we’re not supposed to argue, right? We’re supposed to stick together, so no one will have to die anymore…” He trailed off, looking downtrodden.

Nazuna found himself patting Mitsuru’s head reassuringly, almost out of habit. He could tell that his junior was more perceptive than he usually appeared—he just couldn’t express it well sometimes. Mitsuru gave a small smile at Nazuna’s comfort. “What about you, Tomo-chan?”

“Um…Since you all confessed, I guess I should as well,” Tomoya said. “It’s embarrassing to admit this, but ever since we came here, I always felt I had to protect Hajime and Mitsuru. I wanted to take the burden of everything so no one else would have to suffer, because that’s what a unit leader is supposed to do, and I would become the leader next year, right?” He looked down, biting his lip. “But that was too naïve of me. When you cried during Himemiya’s execution, Hajime, I realized how powerless I was. Reality would hit us in the face no matter what, and I was stupid to think I could stop it. And I couldn’t even say any encouraging words to cheer you up like Nii-chan.” He sighed, folding his hands on his lap, his shoulders slumping. “Now, I’m scared I can’t do anything to protect you guys from what might happen next…”

“Tomo-chin.” Nazuna grabbed the first year and hugged him close. “You weren’t supposed to be the one going through that! As long as I’m still here, you can count on me to be your Nii-chan, alright? Don’t go off taking on everything by yourself.”

“But Nii-chan,” Tomoya protested, “We’ve grown up. We can’t keep relying on you all the time anymore. You haven’t said anything yet—will you tell us what’s been on your mind, Nii-chan?”

“That’s right! Terrible things have happened to us, but if we talk it out, I think it’ll get better,” Hajime said earnestly. “I already feel better after talking…not that I’m not sad about Tori-kun anymore, but talking about it makes you stronger.”

“I…” Nazuna looked around him, at the young faces brimming with concern—but also a sort of determination and strength. Through the year that he’d known them, they had grown so much. They had cried through adversity and defeat and then gotten up again, innumerable times. The glimmer that still remained in Tomoya’s gaze, the way Hajime now held his back straight, the way Mitsuru had clenched his fists while they all looked at Nazuna expectantly—of course, they could stand on their own two feet now.

So perhaps, he could rely on them for just a bit.

“I’ve been worrying about what Rei-chin said during the meeting today,” he finally said. “About the mastermind being one of us.”

He saw Mitsuru’s eyes go wide. “So, you think it’s true, Nii-chan?”

“I don’t know. I’d rather believe it isn’t, but whether it’s true or not, it’s making everyone suspicious of each other. That’s what I’m worried about. Everyone’s already so strained—it’s like what you said before, Mitsuru-chin. No one trusts each other anymore, and now it’ll just get worse. It’s dangerous. And I’m scared that…another murder might happen if this goes on.”

“Would it?” Hajime’s face went pale. “That’s terrible!”

“No—I’m sorry—I really shouldn’t have said this. I don’t want to make you guys worried,” Nazuna said in a rush, holding out his hands as if to steady Hajime from collapsing. “Please forget that I just said that, okay?”

“No—I mean, if you think that, we need to find some way to stop the murder from happening!” Hajime continued, grabbing onto Nazuna’s hand fiercely. “We can’t let anyone die anymore!”

“Hajime is right,” Tomoya said, facing Nazuna with a serious expression. “I don’t want anyone going through something like that again—so we have to stop the murder before it happens.”

Nazuna blinked a few times, and then broke into a tearful smile. “You’re right. I’ve underestimated you, haven’t I? I was fretting about everything and didn’t even think once of fighting back. You guys know a lot more than I do now.”

“Aw, don’t say that, Nii-chan!” Mitsuru said. “It’s because worrying about what happened or what’s going to happen doesn’t help, right? We have to dash, dash—leave the bad things behind us, and make the future even better!”

“Exactly,” Hajime brightened. “We’re like rabbits, right? If we’re pulled down, we have to bounce back up. So let’s think about what we can do so the next murder doesn’t happen.”

“Prevent a murder, huh…” Tomoya looked thoughtful. “Morisawa-senpai tried to do that earlier, didn’t he? But he didn’t succeed, and got killed himself…”

“That’s because he was trying to bond everyone together,” Nazuna contemplated. “It’s not as easy as it sounds. People argue, they disagree, they fall apart…” He paused for a few moments. “Anyway. We need something that can stop any murder altogether.”

“What about guarding anything that can be a weapon?” Hajime suggested. “Lock up all the knives in the kitchen, as well as the arrows in the archery range.”

“That’s a good point, Hajime-chin,” Nazuna said. “But then there’s a question of who should be guarding them, or who should keep the key.”

“Not to mention, Kirakuma gave us the arrows, right?” Tomoya pointed out. “If he sees we’re locking up the weapons, he might just give us more weapons—maybe even ones that we don’t know about.”

“Then we can just do it really secretly, like when we planned the ‘Gratitude Live’!” Mitsuru suggested.

“But they found out about that in the end…” Nazuna said, a little troubled. “And besides, anything we do on this island is in the view of the security cameras, so he would know.”

“That’s annoying~ That Kirakuma knows everything we’re doing!” Mitsuru sighed. “It would be easy to stop a murder if _we_ knew what everyone’s doing.”

Nazuna looked up with a start. “That’s right, Mitsuru-chin—the security cameras! If we could infiltrate the security camera system somehow…”

“But, isn’t tampering with the security cameras against the rules?” Tomoya asked.

“It is, but it’s hacking, not tampering exactly…”

And then they all jumped when the loud crackle of an announcement vibrated through the air, Kirakuma’s voice filtering through the loudspeakers located around campus. “I’ve just heard some people discussing infiltrating the security cameras!” it declared. “Let me just clarify to you lot that hacking into my equipment of any kind is _not_ allowed. Have a good day, little idols.”

The broadcast switched off. Tomoya gave a nervous giggle. “I guess that makes it clear.”

“That was scary,” Hajime said, still recovering from the shock. “Is he always watching us like that?”

“I guess so. No kidding when we said he knows everything we’re doing. And he can broadcast to us anytime he wants,” Nazuna added. Then he stopped.

His mind rolled over everything they had talked about up to that point. Security cameras—broadcasts—surveillance—a system—

Something clicked.

“The Broadcasting Committee!” he jumped up as he shouted. The three first years looked up at him, surprised by his outburst.

“I’ve thought of something—a way to watch everyone without breaking the rules,” Nazuna breathed, barely holding in his excitement. “Thank you, guys, for giving me the idea—I think it might work! Let me go check on something, okay? Leave it to your Nii-chan!”

“I don’t really get it, but you go, Nii-chan~!” Mitsuru was the first to reply, pumping his fist in the air.

And with that the third year was off and running, headed toward the school building, in preparation of a plan that might just save their lives.

 

\--

 

The door to classroom 2-A swung open, and Makoto looked up from where he had been sitting and staring out the window. He half expected it was Mao, come to look for the remaining members of Trickstar, who were gathered quite naturally in their classroom with nothing to do. But to his surprise, it wasn’t.

Standing in the doorway were Nazuna and Shinobu, both breathing heavily from having ran up the stairs to the second floor. Nazuna straightened himself up a little before addressing the people in the room. “Hello. If it isn’t too much of a bother, can I borrow Mako-chin for a little while?”

“You want Yuuki?” Hokuto asked. “I don’t mind. But what for?”

“Could this be for the Broadcasting Committee?” Makoto asked. It was a guess, based on the people that were there. But he truthfully had no idea why the Broadcasting Committee would be needed for anything right now.

“It is,” Nazuna replied. “We’ve thought of a way to use the Broadcasting Committee equipment to protect the students and not let anyone get killed again. But we need your help, Mako-chin.”

“Really? Would I be of use?” Makoto was a little surprised as he heard that, and then broke out into a grin. “I guess it’s Yuuki Makoto to the rescue, then! Watch as I save the day!”

“Wahh, don’t go, Ukki~!” Subaru exclaimed from next to him. “One half of a manzai duo isn’t funny on his own! Take me, too~!”

“It’s okay, don’tcha worry! I’ll be back real quick!” Makoto gave a silly salute to his friend, and turned to join Nazuna at the door, while Hokuto gave a halfhearted sigh behind him.

As they walked down the hall at a brisk pace, Nazuna filled Makoto and Shinobu in on the details of his plan.

“See, the members of Ra*bits and I were thinking about setting up a surveillance thistem—I mean, system,” Nazuna said, speaking so quickly that he was running over his words. “That way, the idea of being watched could make sure no one commits a crime, since they’ll be found out anyway! That’s how it works in the real world, after all.”

“So you were the ones Kirakuma-dono was talking about during the broadcast?” Shinobu gasped, eyes wide. “That’s quite amazing, de gozaru! I never would have guessed!”

“Although, Kirakuma did say hacking is forbidden, so that plan won’t work,” Makoto commented. “Unless you’ve thought of something else?”

“That’s right,” Nazuna confirmed. “We can’t use the security cameras Kirakuma has already set up for us. But—we might be able to set up our own system of cameras.”

“Our own system?” Shinobu looked bewildered. “But how, de gozaru?”

“The cameras we use to broadcast during Live shows,” Nazuna said confidently. “I’ve checked, and they’re all still in the auditorium. What we need to do is spread those cameras around the school and set them up in live broadcast mode, as if we were putting on a show. Then, someone sitting in the Broadcasting room can observe everything happening around the school. There will also be track records that provide easy evidence, if something goes wrong.”

“That’s brilliant, Nito-senpai,” Makoto said. “If I remember correctly, there’s a total of about twenty of those cameras, right? Do you think they’ll be enough to cover the whole school?”

“If we space them out, it’s possible,” Nazuna replied. “We’ll make sure to cover all the important areas, but there will probably still be a few dead corners. There’s no way to avoid that.”

“Hmm…But what if someone covers his face and attacks, or something?” Shinobu inquired. “They might get away before we discover who they are, de gozaru.”

“That’s why using the Broadcasting Room gives us another advantage,” Nazuna explained. “This is what I think: if we observe anyone acting suspiciously, or seemingly dangerous because they’re carrying a weapon, or in the act of attacking—we send out a broadcast to the whole school immediately, informing them of the perpetrator’s location. Anyone around there can then immediately rush to rescue the victim or catch the perpetrator. If all of us work together, we’ll be able to stop them in their tracks. This is a last resort, though. It’s better that no one does something like this altogether.”

“Ah, so we’ll have an emergency signal!” Makoto beamed. “That sounds too cool. It really feels like we’re being heroes!”

“Yes! I will finally become a hero of justice, like Taichou-dono taught me to, de gozaru!” Shinobu jumped up and down.

“If you’re excited, that’s good, because we have a lot to do,” Nazuna said, slowing as they approached the broadcasting room on the third floor.

Makoto nodded, and pushed open the door to the broadcasting room. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked. The room was clean, with everything laid out tidily exactly how they expected it to be. He checked all of the equipment and monitors across the room, as well.

“Everything seems to be in working order,” he announced. “Should we go get the cameras?”

“Before we get the cameras, we’ll have to plan out where we want to place them,” Nazuna said. “Does anyone have a map of the school?”

“I think there is a map available in the lobby, de gozaru,” Shinobu said.

“Perfect. We’ll make a plan, and we’ll show everyone else during lunch,” Makoto suggested. “If everyone is all right with it, we can go ahead and set up the cameras.”

“Everyone _will_ be fine with it, right?” Shinobu asked worriedly. “If there are any potential murderers, then…They wouldn’t like it, would they?”

“It’s all right,” Nazuna reassured him. “I’m pretty sure everyone would agree.”

“How do you know?” Shinobu tilted his head.

Makoto knew the answer before his senpai could say it. No one could possibly object, because the last thing a murderer would want is to seem suspicious.

 

\--

 

“…And so, that’s the plan that the Broadcasting Committee has come up with,” Nazuna concluded, looking across the room of students, who were listening intently. “Does anyone have any objections to this?”

Makoto took a bite of his sandwich nervously, scrutinizing the expressions of everyone else in the cafeteria. Most of the students were looking towards each other and nodding. His comrades in Trickstar gave him a smile and a thumbs-up. He saw Eichi glance at Keito, who gave a nonchalant shrug. Eichi then shrugged himself and gave a nod of approval.

“I don’t think anyone’s objecting,” the President said. “Although it is starting to feel like a bit of a dystopia. Big Brother is watching you, and all that.” He chuckled.

“Despite this, I would say it’s a realistic solution,” Madara countered. “There are times when such measures need to be taken. The police do it all the time. It might feel harsh, but this is probably the best way right now to protect everyone’s safety.”

“Then it’s settled,” Nazuna said. “We’ll be preparing the cameras this afternoon. If anyone wants to help with the heavy lifting, it’ll be greatly appreciated.”

“We’ll help you, Nii-chan!” The three first years of Ra*bits called out. The other members of Ryuseitai also eagerly raised their hands.

“Just one question, though,” Keito interrupted. “Who will be the one monitoring? Would it be the three of you? Or all of us in turns?”

“That…we were thinking of taking turns between the three of us,” Makoto said. “It’s easier to coordinate with fewer people. And we’re all up to the job—you can definitely trust us, vice president.” He struck his chest in an act of confidence, but swallowed nervously as he did it.

“Ahh, of course we can trust you, Yuu-kun!” Izumi exclaimed with a bright smile. “I’m so glad…My Yuu-kun has grown up!”

“Ahaha…Thanks, Izumi-san?” Makoto laughed awkwardly, pushing away the praise.

“We’ll be taking shifts through the day,” Nazuna added. “But we won’t be on duty during nighttime, so I’d like to ask everyone to stay in their dorms from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM.”

Everyone nodded. Makoto breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then, we’ll be collecting the cameras from the auditorium now, de gozaru!” Shinobu announced cheerfully. “If anyone wants to come along, just follow us~!”

—And so, the rest of the afternoon was a flurry of moving, assembling, and testing the cameras in their specific locations. They got plenty of helping hands—the members of Ryuseitai carried the cameras and stands across campus without breaking a sweat, and some more able-bodied students like Kuro came to assist as well. The young members of Ra*bits went from location to location, setting up each camera at the right angle and placing them on stands, while Nazuna and Makoto oversaw everything and directed as needed.

They had arranged for one camera in each hallway, covering the entire floor, in both the eastern and western school buildings. That made for six in total. Two more were dedicated to the two floors of the central passageway between buildings, and another captured the front courtyard and the fountain. One was placed in the gymnasium, and another in the archery hall. There was also a camera each in the cafeteria, garden terrace, and kitchen. Two more cameras were placed on both floors of the dormitory building. Finally, one camera looked out onto the field, while another was situated at the basketball and tennis courts. That was eighteen cameras, and it exhausted all their resources.

“We haven’t covered the auditorium,” Hajime said breathlessly, as they all gathered in the courtyard to go over their progress.

“I guess we’ll leave it,” Nazuna responded. “I don’t think anyone intentionally goes in there—it brings back bad memories.”

“The next step is to hook up all the cameras to the broadcasting room, and make sure all of the videos can be displayed live,” Makoto said. “Shinobu, can you direct everyone to turn the cameras on live mode?”

“Leave it to me!” Shinobu grinned.

By the time everything was finally set up and running, and the videos were successfully displayed across four large monitors in the broadcasting room like a true security system, it was already past dinnertime. Makoto heaved a long sigh as he wiped some sweat off his forehead. It had been a long day, but they had made it.

In fact, he thought, it had been so long since he felt active and refreshed and— _useful—_ like this. In the days prior, he would hate himself more for every second that passed where he didn’t know what to do or how to help. It felt great, being able to stand up and make changes instead of dragging the team back. It reminded him of how he felt when standing on the SS stage as Trickstar.

—And it hit him suddenly, the sense of melancholy. He would wish more than anything to be able to stand onstage with Trickstar again. But could they ever go back? Could they possibly escape and continue their dream?

“Mako-chin?” A concerned voice sounded next to him. It was Nazuna, looking just a little bit worried. “Are you alright? Are you tired?”

“No, it’s fine, I’m okay,” Makoto said, unclenching the fist that he didn’t realized he had clenched tightly, and giving a weak smile. “Should we call it a day?”

“Yeah,” Nazuna nodded. “We can start officially monitoring tomorrow. Let’s cycle through the three of us—I’ll take the morning shift, from 7:00 to 12:00.”

“I’ll go from 12:00 to 5:00 PM then,” Makoto said.

“Which means I’ll be going from 5:00 to 10:00!” Shinobu concluded. “That’s excellent—a ninja can be active during the night, de gozaru! Nin nin♪”

Both Makoto and Nazuna laughed at the energetic first year, who was starting to jump around and strike ninja poses. Maybe this was the closest they could come to a moment of peace and happiness, Makoto thought, on this hellish island with an intent to kill.

 

\--

 

The next morning, Nazuna awoke to the alarm he had set for the early morning, rubbing his eyes groggily. Makoto—who also happened to be his roommate—was still fast asleep, and he didn’t want to awaken him, so he tread lightly. He had to grab something light to eat and then quickly head for his morning shift as security monitor, he thought as he stifled a yawn.

And then something on his nightstand caught the corner of his eye. He blinked a few times, not quite registering it. He hadn’t put anything there the night before.

He walked over and picked it up. It was a file of some sort…a report? His eyes skimmed over it, and then his heart skipped a beat when he realized what was written there. He grabbed the paper  and held it closer, eyes growing wider and more terrified with every word.

It was a news report, the kind you’d see any day in a magazine. It looked undeniably real, with color photos that seemed fully authentic. But it couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be real because the three faces on the photos were very familiar: Tomoya, Hajime and Mitsuru.

And the photos could only be described as terrible.

Nazuna held his hand over his mouth to keep from crying out as he read through the report, his mind reeling, every trace of sleepiness completely whisked away. The report depicted a scandal of the very worst nature. The three youngest members of Ra*bits in a situation where idols could never, ever be seen in. If it happened, then their careers would be over.

The title of the report was utterly blunt and piercing. It read— _THE SECRET SEX LIVES OF THE RA*BITS MEMBERS—EXPOSED!!_

But that wasn’t what Nazuna was worried about. What was truly terrifying was the small line of text written at the bottom of the page.

_“Gentle Warning: If no murder is committed during the 48-hour period between now and two days later, this report will be released to the general public._

_—With love, Kirakuma.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry ;_;
> 
> But basically, this is the official Motive of the 2nd round. Everyone is threatened with scandals of the people important to them.
> 
> yep that's all I'm gonna go rot in hell now


	9. 2.3 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn’t know why, but his entire body was trembling. It was almost like a jolt of electricity. The magician’s words coursed through him and left him dizzy and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey welcome to a chapter comprised of a lot of death flags and the last moment of peace before the storm. There are many people involved in this case, so you'll have to parse through and guess which death flags are real! Have fun :)
> 
> (This chapter took longer than it should bc I went back through so many event stories as a reference... Also, bold font indicates when Natsume is talking in his weird style)

No doubt about it, the whole of Yumenosaki Academy was in turmoil that morning.

“Oshi-san! Oshi-san Oshi-san Oshi-san!!” Mika cried out in a panic as he jumped straight up from his bed like a cat, gripping the files he found on his bedside. “What do we do what do we _do?!_ It says that if we don’ kill someone in the next two days, they’ll release this horrible report ‘bout you! If we don’ do somethin’, Valkyrie’s name will be tarnished _forever!_ ”

“For heavens’ sake, be quiet, Kagehira, if only just for a moment,” Shu waved at his hysterical underclassman, signaling for him to shush. He himself was pressing a finger to his temple in anguish as he pondered what he had seen on the file that he had gotten. He wasn’t sure for how long he could continue to keep his emotions in check and think rationally. To be able to produce something like this, surely the ones controlling them were utter _demons_ —

“Oshi-san—”

“Didn’t I tell you to keep your mouth shut?” Shu turned to face Mika, his brows twisted. The thin boy wilted a little at his mentor’s gaze, and lowered his voice to barely more than a whimper.

“’m sorry. I jus’…really think you should see this.”

“See what?”

“Th’ report on you,” Mika said, shakily handing the papers in his hand to Shu. “It says that all of Valkyrie’s work is plagiarized…th-that you stole other people’s creations an’ blackmailed them t’ keep quiet abou’ it…It says that you…your _art_ …is a fake—Oshi-san!”

Shu snatched the papers from Mika’s hand almost aggressively, and gave them a brief skim. It was just as his junior had said—a report designed to tarnish, no, utterly destroy the reputation of Valkyrie. Mika had spared him the most awful details. The details about _how_ , exactly, he made the people he stole from keep quiet—he felt a sense of nausea just reading about it.

He waited for it, for his blood to boil and his anger to rise within him, for everything to heat up and swirl in his mind and jumble his thoughts until he was ready to snap, as it had just did—but it didn’t come.

As he sat, seeing what could be thought as the irrevocable end of Valkyrie spread out on a page, he realized he felt nothing.

In fact, he wanted to laugh about it. It was stupid; it was idiotic. The lengths to which people could go to destroy those that they hated! The extremes to which they could conjure up stories and believe! Those were the foolish masses, the ones he would normally scoff at, whom he could easily kick out of the live house.

But of course, not everyone bore the same attitude. And he realized that.

“Um, Oshi-san?” Mika asked quietly. “Your face looks really scary right now…”

“Listen, Kagehira,” Shu said sharply, looking Mika in the eye. “This report can do nothing except destroy us, and push us to the deepest depths of hell. But we Valkyrie have died once already. We have died and were reborn—we rose from hell, stained in darkness from head to toe, and we live on. I don’t care if we have to die again, ten more times, a hundred more. True art will shine through in the end, and the people who understand will follow us. I could say the same of any of the Five Oddballs, my friends. But…” His voice quivered a little.

“…but not Nito. He is different…He cannot live through something like this.”

Mika followed Shu’s downwards gaze, and saw, finally, that Shu had been reading something earlier as well.

“—No, Oshi-san! Ya don’ mean—you got one too?!”

Shu grabbed the pages and shoved them under his pillow. “Similar things…about Nito. And a threat, as you received as well.” He clenched his fists, and muttered almost to himself. “Even though I know it isn’t my place to be looking after Nito anymore, it still pains me…in the very worst way.”

“Nazuna-nii…no…” Mika paled. “But wait, does that mean… _Everyone_ got ‘em?”

Shu paused and thought. “Perhaps. It might be good to check with a few others.”

Just at that moment, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. A voice sounded politely from the other side. “Shu nii-SAN? It’s ME.”

“Sakasaki…” Shu looked up and grudgingly stood to open the door. A serious-looking Natsume walked into the room, while Tsumugi followed behind him.

“Pardon the intrusion, Shu nii-san, Mika-KUN,” Natsume nodded in greeting.

“Don’t mind it. What are…the two of you here for?” Shu asked, narrowing his eyes at Tsumugi, who smiled obliviously and waved.

“Ah, _that thing_ just had to follow ME,” Natsume explained while gesturing vaguely at his senior, as if he didn’t deserve a name. “Now, if you don’t MIND, I’ll cut to the CHASE. This morning, all three members of Switch have received a report with a threat attACHED.” He took out a few pages that he had been keeping in his pocket, and briefly waved them. “Have either of you received anything of the same SORT?”

“Ah, no way! Ya got ‘em too?” Mika blurted out upon seeing the report in Natsume’s hand, looking positively alarmed.

“So it’s true THEN…” Natsume’s face darkened.

“Yes,” Shu sighed. “Both of us have received an atrocious report of people we knew. Should we assume that this is something the bear has given to all of us?”

“To make us kill, no DOUBT,” Natsume said. “Just as when he announced the ‘first-time boNUS. In fact, last night, I’ve had a few glimpses of the fuTURE…” He fingered the pendant around his neck as he spoke. “I can sense that tragedy will strike SOON. The future will not be pleaSANT.”

“Don’t say it like that, Natsume-kun~” Tsumugi pleaded. “There’s the surveillance system that the Broadcasting Committee has set up, right? If we all comply, I think we’ll be safe.”

“Safe…” Shu muttered. “But the people in the reports will not be.”

He could tell that when getting involved with a scandal of this nature, the things at peril would not be limited to one’s reputation alone. There would be angry mobs harassing them on the street, vandalizing their houses, sending threats physically or verbally…If they managed to escape from this island and return to society, they could only look forward to a future of terror.

“That’s RIGHT,” Natsume replied. “That’s what I intended to speak to you abOUT. I can tell that your report has been worrying YOU. I can say the same of MINE. Have you thought about…what you’re going to DO?”

Shu hesitated. “It’s true that I can’t stand to see Nito defiled like this…but…”

“Oshi-san, you won’t have t’ kill anyone!” Mika jumped in, a fierce look in his eyes. “If you need me to, you just have t’ give the word, an’ I’ll go an’ commit a murder for ya! I’ll give myself up on the trial, too, so both you and Nazuna-nii can be spared, an’ I’ll be the only one who dies! I won’t mind, Oshi-san—just tell me t’ do it!”

“No, Kagehira,” Shu said irritably, “Don’t sacrifice yourself so impulsively. If you were to die, that’s not a scenario I want, either.”

“H-Huh?” Mika looked confused. “But…I’m jus’ a failed doll of yours. I can’t possibly be as important as you or Nazuna-nii, right?”

“How many times have I told you that you are no longer a doll? You are a human being, standing beside me, as deserving of life as any other human.” Shu crossed his arms. “You’ve known since the Repayment Fes. Don’t make me repeat it again, Kagehira.”

“Alright…’m still more used to being your doll, though,” Mika muttered, settling down.

“So,” Natsume studied Shu’s expression curiously. “You’re saying that you’re against kiLLING?”

Shu considered at length before responding. “I _am_ against it. To give in to the threat, I think, will be insulting.”

“How so?” Tsumugi asked.

“Look at us now,” Shu said. “Stuck in a despairing situation, caught between virtue and vice, pushed to commit atrocious crimes against our own will, forced to trade one life for another.” He was visibly irked now, and didn’t bother hiding it. “The bear is laughing in our faces as he takes complete control and immobilizes us, succumbing us to his manipulation. _Non!_ I am the puppet master, not the puppet! I will not dance to the wishes of the villain looking over us.”

“I SEE,” Natsume said. “But, then what about the rePORTS?”

“I think…there’s still hope,” Tsumugi jumped in. “Look—the threat said, ‘If no murder occurs’. That means we don’t have to commit the crimes _personally_ , right? As long as someone commits a murder, all of us are safe. And since everyone received these threats, it’s likely that at least one person would take action.”

“That IS—unless everyone follows this train of thought, and waits for someone else to do the WORK,” Natsume pointed out. “If that happens, no one will commit a murDER.”

“That’s all right, too,” Tsumugi said cheerily. “The reports won’t do that much harm. See, even if Natsume-kun was actually a girl dressed in boy’s clothing the whole time, like what my report says, I’ll still love you just as much~”

Without speaking, Natsume grabbed the alarm clock from Shu’s nightstand and hurled it toward Tsumugi’s face.

“OW! Please don’t be violent, Natsume-kun! Did I say something wrong?”

“Enough. I would like it if you did not throw the things in my room,” Shu said.

“Sorry, Shu nii-sAN,” Natsume gave an apologetic smile and moved to replace the alarm clock. “Don’t mind senPAI. But he has made a good POINT. It would be greatly helpful if someone else commits the murDER.”

Shu contemplated the situation. “True, another student committing murder is all too likely; in that case, we should avoid unnecessary bloodshed. I have never appreciated violence and most likely never will. But it isn’t up to me to dictate the actions of others.” He paused. “However, if we _are_ under threat, I would at least like to ensure that my good friends are safe from harm.”

“You mean Rei nii-san, Kanata nii-san and Wataru nii-sAN?” Natsume inquired. “Now that I think of it, it might be good for us to gaTHER. There’s safety in numBERS.” He picked up his papers and stuffed them back in his pocket. “I could search for them now, if you LIKE.”

“There’s no need—I’ll look for them later,” Shu responded, before turning to Mika. “Kagehira, what about you? Do you want to stick with the Five Oddballs to ensure your safety?”

“I…” Mika hesitated. “…want to stay with Oshi-san, but I also want to see how Naru-chan’s doin’. I don’t know how he’s reactin’ to all of this…”

“That’s fine,” Shu answered. “I think you’ll be safe if you stay with Narukami. It seems he can be quite strong when he feels like it.”

“Well then, we’ll be goING,” Natsume said, pulling Tsumugi along. “I hope we can all survive through this, Shu nii-san, Mika-KUN.”

And with that they turned to leave; Tsumugi tugged on Natsume’s sleeve as they exited. “What about me, Natsume-kun~? Are you going to be with your Oddball friends while leaving me alone?”

“Take care of it yourself, senPAI. You’re always alone, so aren’t you used to IT?” They heard Natsume reply, before he pulled the door shut.

 

\--

 

“Ugh…I don’t know…I don’t know. What should a girl _do_ in this situation?” Arashi complained, while stirring the drink in front of him with a straw.

Mika sat in front of him, popping a sweet into his mouth. Even now, without any sort of constraint on money, he still stuck to his old habits of only eating cheap candies. “I don’t know either,” he admitted. “I was ready t’ kill someone for Oshi-san, but he wouldn’ let me. Now I’m jus’ worried…”

“Oh, Mika-chan, I wouldn’t want you to kill anyone either,” Arashi argued. “But I know how you feel. When I read the report about Kunugi-sensei, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

“Kunugi-sensei…” Mika considered. “I didn’ realize they weren’t just focusin’ on the students, but the teachers too.”

“I know! I’d never thought Kunugi-sensei would be targeted as well!” Arashi cried. “It’s just cruel. If this report is released, he’d probably be fired from his current position at the school, and his life would be wrecked, too. I don’t want to see that happen to the love of my life…!”

Mika chewed uneasily on a candy wrapper. “They said that the ‘mastermind’ is one of us, right? If any of us did such a cruel thing t’ Naru-chan or Oshi-san…I’m gonna track him down later an’ kill him, for sure.”

“Mika-chan…You sound so serious,” Arashi said worriedly. “Me, personally, I always thought that we should never suspect each other—but I’m starting to have some doubts, too, you know? Ever since this morning, I always felt like someone’s eyes are on my back…But maybe that’s just because of this news report fiasco. It’s making me nervous. Everyone’s tense and nothing feels safe anymore.”

Mika nodded, remembering what Natsume had said that morning. “Nakkun…The leader of Switch told us that he predicted bad things would happen,” he said. “An’ now…Everywhere I look it’s like someone’s plannin’ to kill someone.”

Arashi nodded. “I know. Even Izumi-chan—my roommate—jumped right up this morning and ran out once he saw his papers. He didn’t even say a word to me, and I haven’t seen him since. It’s freaking me out, you know? It’s even more scary because I’m worried he went to—” He stopped.

Mika blinked at Arashi’s sudden pause. “What is it, Naru-chan?”

Arashi waved his hands. “Nothing. Just got caught up in my own thoughts for a minute there. Oh dear, where was I?”

Mika narrowed his eyes at his friend. It wasn’t usual of Arashi to be covering up like this, and it made him more uneasy than he already was. “Naru-chan.”

“Yes, Mika-chan?”

“Yer actin’ all weird. What were you going t’ say? It’s not like ya to hide things, Naru-chan.”

“Really, it was nothing!” Arashi protested. “It’s just my nerves, that’s all.”

Mika studied his face for a long while. “I think you’re lyin’. What is it that ya can’t tell me? We’re friends, right?”

“Yes—of course we are!”

“Then don’t keep secrets from me,” Mika said. “I don’t wanna be suspicious of _you_ , too, Naru-chan! I want to trust you—an’ I want you to trust me, too.”

“Ah…” Arashi looked down at the ground. “That’s right…I never thought of it that way. I’m being a horrible friend, aren’t I?” When Mika didn’t say anything, he gave a sheepish smile. “Can I trust you to keep this secret, then, even to your Oshi-san?”

Mika nodded. “I won’t tell a soul. I swear on my life.”

“Ahaha, it’s not _that_ extreme,” Arashi giggled.

Before speaking, he looked carefully around the surrounding area, ensuring they weren’t being eavesdropped by anyone else. Luckily it was still early, and the garden terrace seemed to be deserted.

After he was certain no one was listening, he leaned in close to Mika and whispered.

“Mika-chan, do you remember the ‘Unit Practice Rooms’? …”

 

\--

 

It was easy to tell when something was troubling Hokuto. Too easy, in fact. Subaru had seen it many times; from the moment he was wavering between Trickstar and fine before DDD, to the times he was unsure about his part in a drama production, to the day they had first lost to the formidable unit from outside school, Eve. Now he was wearing that same expression: forehead slightly creased, lips pressed together, head angled down just a little as he pondered whatever was on his mind. Subaru had a pretty good idea of what that was.

“Come on, Hokke~! Think happy thoughts! Hey, look—when the sun shines on the surface of the sea, it makes the water look all sparkly! Isn’t it real eye-catching? Kirakira☆ ” Subaru shouted, running around his friend in circles.

Hokuto winced. “Whenever you say that it reminds me of the bear…Anyway, can you please settle down? I really want to take some time to think about that threat I got.”

“No! Hokke, ignore the things that the bear gave you! That little demon is just trying to provoke us~ Come on, run with me, feel the sea breeze coming toward you! I feel like I could stay here forever…”

Subaru opened his arms and ran comically towards the edge of the island, beyond the field at the back of the school, as if he were going to catch the wind in an embrace. He sneaked a glance behind him. Hokuto was trudging along slowly, in no hurry to catch up.

“Akehoshi.” The dark-haired boy called out, expression hardening. “Stop being silly. I want us to discuss this. Your file too. I want you to show me.”

“No—! Not listening! What’s that you say~? I can’t hear it over the waves!”

“Think about our future, Akehoshi!” Hokuto yelled, anger evident in his voice now. “Are you really so dense you can’t pause to consider the severity of the situation?”

Subaru continued looking out at the sea, pretending not to hear him.

“Everything we’ve worked for up to this point…The weeks and months of training we put in…from winning DDD to standing onstage during SS…It’ll all be for nothing if this report gets released! We’ll be scorned, we’ll be mocked, we’ll be vilified—our days as idols will be over!”

Subaru picked up a rock from the sand and tossed it into the ocean. The ripples conjured in the water disappeared swiftly against the undulation of the waves.

“If it were just me, I wouldn’t care,” Hokuto continued. “But as Trickstar’s leader, I can’t let all of you down! Tell me what you really think, Akehoshi!”

Subaru turned his head just a little, his face blank.

“If you failed in the idol world like this…Wouldn’t your mother be sad? And your father…You’d be put into the same category as him…”

“— _Shut up!_ ” Subaru yelled.

Hokuto stopped with a start.

“My father…would hate me even more…if I did it…” Subaru muttered under his breath.

“What?” He was speaking so softly that the waves _were_ getting in the way now.

“Wouldn’t your family be more disappointed if they knew what you had done?” Subaru yelled. “It would be like how Anzu or Chii-chan-senpai was taken away from us…How do we know if we have the right to do it? Would we ever know?!”

Hokuto shook his head. “I _don’t_ know, Akehoshi—That’s why I’m trying to think about it! But this is all messing with my head too much and I can’t think straight!”

“—I don’t think there’s ever a way to KNOW, Baru-KUN,” a voice suddenly sounded from above them. Both Subaru and Hokuto looked up with a start, to find Natsume sitting in a tree looking down upon them.

“Wahh, Natsume?” Subaru jumped. “You scared me—can you not sneak up on people like that? I thought my heart was gonna stop!”

Natsume chuckled and leapt down from the tree, landing in front of Subaru. “Sorry about THAT. It’s hard not to sneak up when you can anticipate your opponent’s every MOVE. Anyway, Baru-kun, so you haven’t shown Hokke-kun the report you got, have YOU? Is there a reason you’re keeping IT?”

Subaru’s back stiffened. “That? It’s not important, so why would you bring it up?”

“That’s a LIE,” Natsume grinned, staring directly into Subaru’s eyes. The orange-haired boy inched away from him. It was as if Natsume could see right through him, past the layers and layers of protection he had set up, and peer directly into his soul.

“You’re very brave, Baru-KUN,” Natsume whispered. “You’re trying to distract yourself, pretending that you don’t MIND, so that a tragedy doesn’t haPPEN.”

“Um, could you not talk in riddles, please~? I don’t really understand you.” Subaru stepped away from Natsume, but Natsume simply moved closer, closing the distance.

“Make sure you keep that reSOLVE,” Natsume continued, “Because you wouldn’t like to become like your father, would YOU? In fact… **you wouldn’t want _anyone_ to become like your father, correct?** ”

Subaru’s eyes grew wide. He didn’t know why, but his entire body was trembling. It was almost like a jolt of electricity. The magician’s words coursed through him and left him dizzy and confused.

“Hey,” Hokuto called out, walking towards them. “What are you doing to Akehoshi? Leave him alone. This isn’t your business.”

“Oh, have I threatened YOU?” Natsume drew back. “Forgive ME. That was not my intenTION. I just…hope that you can stay STRONG, that’s all, Baru-KUN.” He patted Subaru’s shoulder sympathetically, before the latter came back to his senses and jumped away. The red-haired magician chuckled, and then waved his hand. “See you later, THEN. Good Night…♪”

“Akehoshi…?” Hokuto cast a worried gaze toward his friend, who was staring at Natsume’s back speechlessly.

“Hm?” Subaru turned around, his eyes bright and dancing again, a cheerful smile on his face. “Nothing! Let’s go back, Hokke~”

“Huh? Go back?”

“Now that I think of it, it’s almost time for lunch, isn’t it?” He skipped ahead, humming a tune to himself. “I’m in the mood for a sandwich! Hokke~, what about you? I will serve you to your utmost delight~!”

“H-Hey, wait for me,” Hokuto called out, running after him. Somehow, it seemed Subaru was his usual idiotic self again. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

 

\--

 

They trod back past the field toward the school buildings, the sun blazing directly above them. As Subaru walked, he caught sight of a familiar figure walking across the grounds, and shouted a greeting. “Hey, Ukki~!”

“Ah, Akehoshi-kun, Hidaka-kun!” Makoto stopped in his tracks, waving at the duo. He was carrying with him a plastic bag filled with foodstuffs. “Are you guys going to the cafeteria?”

“Yeah! Do you wanna come with us, Ukki~?” Subaru asked, jumping and aiming a high five at Makoto’s outstretched hand.

“Ah, I can’t—I have monitoring duties for the next few hours,” Makoto explained. “Shinobu-kun and I just got some refreshments from the school store so we could stock up on snacks in the Broadcasting Room.” Only then did Subaru notice the little ninja, poking his head out from behind Makoto and wearing a shy smile. He grinned back.

“That’s awesome, Ukki~! When will you be done? It’s lonely here without you, you know~”

“I go until 5 in the afternoon,” Makoto said. “Shinobu-kun will be there from 5 until 10, so I’ll be free.”

“Got it!” Subaru smiled. “I’ll go searching for you right on time, then! The idiot duo won’t be complete without you!”

“Roger that~” Makoto replied, pumping his fist in the air.

“Keep up the good work, Yuuki,” Hokuto gave him a nod, before leading Subaru on their way. Makoto breathed a sigh of relief—neither of them seemed at all out of the ordinary. Maybe they hadn’t received anything like the terrible threat he found on his bedside that morning.

As the spectacled boy turned to leave, though, he suddenly felt a strange prickling sensation on his back, as if someone were watching him. He looked back out of apprehension. Subaru and Hokuto were already walking towards the cafeteria, taking no notice of him. But he thought, for a moment, he saw a concealed figure with silver hair shrink back into the shadows behind a building—or maybe that was just his imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always so fun to write Valkyrie and Switch. I'm totally not biased even though Mika and Natsume are my favs ;v;
> 
> See you next update, then!


	10. 2.4 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But it didn’t matter; at least for the few moments they were here it didn’t have to matter. He would close his eyes and deceive himself into believing that the dream could last a little longer, just a little longer, until the music comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really, really long chapter.
> 
> I would highly recommend having a school map in front of you as you read this. I tried to stay true to any locations given in canon, but I made up some other locations if I couldn't find them. Apologies if I got any wrong, but the locations are important here so I won't change them.

Nazuna sat up in his seat and stretched. It was surprising how spending five hours doing nothing but stare at screens could wear him out entirely. His eyes hurt, and his legs itched to be standing and moving somehow. Maybe he would have to consider adding more people to the monitoring role in the future. He was sure it wasn’t easy for Makoto or Shinobu, either.

It was already his second day of monitoring, indicating they had moved into the latter half of Kirakuma’s time limit for the threat. The previous morning, Nazuna had sat in the room alone, cut off from anyone else, fretting in near hysterics as he worried over the report about Ra*bits. He had watched as everyone found reports of their own, and the entire school broke into a subsequent frenzy. Students knocked on each other’s doors and held worried discussions in the cafeteria. Some bundled together while others shunned anyone else they saw. By the time the three first-years of Ra*bits came knocking on the broadcasting room door with tears in their eyes, Nazuna had finally calmed down enough to gather his thoughts and comfort them.

They had each received scandals as well, with contents very similar to what Nazuna himself had gotten. Tomoya and Hajime received reports of each other, while the subject of Mitsuru’s report was none other than their Nii-chan. There was, then, no need to hide what he had, and he went ahead and laid his report out for the first-years to see. They were old enough, he realized, to face this.

They spoke while Nazuna tried his best to keep an eye on the screens. And as they spoke, they gradually came to terms with the threats—in fact, Nazuna felt that in the end, it was his underclassmen who had lent him strength. When he was still wavering, even offering to sacrifice himself in order to save the three of them, it was the usually gentle, timid Hajime who put his hand up for him to stop.

“No matter what happens in the future, the fact that all of us—including Nii-chan—are alive and together is more important than anything! I don’t want _any_ of us to die anymore!”

And it was such a simple statement, he felt like an idiot for not realizing.

The rest of the day had gone rather smoothly, and Nazuna didn’t spot any suspicious activity on the cameras. Perhaps the surveillance system was working and discouraged anyone from acting rashly, or so he hoped. Far from the panic of last morning, Yumenosaki was looking rather peaceful now. On camera 4, he could see the members of the track club running around on the field; on camera 7, Leo ran down the first floor corridor while Tsukasa frantically chased him; on camera 13, the Five Oddballs were gathered in the cafeteria and talking amongst themselves; and on camera 16, Eichi and Keito relaxed in the archery hall, which they had somehow taken to be their own secluded base. After the events of the last trial, hardly anyone had spoken to the president at all, save for his right-hand man. They were all reasonably afraid of him.

Nazuna was watching and humming a few of his unit songs absentmindedly when the door opened, and Makoto walked in. “Hey, Nito-senpai,” he greeted his senior cheerfully.

“Ah, Mako-chin!” Nazuna turned with a bit of a start. “Is it time to change shifts already? I didn’t even look at the clock.”

“There’s still a few more minutes till twelve,” Makoto responded. “I thought I’d drop in early so I could check on how you’re doing. Nothing’s happened so far, right?”

“Nope,” Nazuna shook his head. “Everything seems fine. The threats might not work after all.”

“The threats…” Makoto’s eyes widened a little. “So it’s true, everyone got them?”

“What? You didn’t know until now, Mako-chin?”

“No, I was sort of suspecting it…But I didn’t have the courage to actually ask anybody and make them concerned. No one brought it up in front of me either—although the other members of Trickstar did seem kinda reserved yesterday. I guess they were holding back the topic on purpose.”

“Hmm…” Nazuna said, a little troubled. He was surprised that no one from Trickstar had spoken to Makoto about it—he thought a unit with as tight a bond as theirs would be discussing together, and sorting things out as Ra*bits had done. “I don’t really think running from the problem is a good idea…although, we’re more than halfway through the time limit already, so maybe if there’s no threat, we can just leave it?”

Makoto tapped his chin, thinking. “I don’t think anyone from Trickstar could ever kill someone. All three of them are much better than me—strong-willed people with passionate spirits and really good, pure hearts. They’re the last people I could think of who would commit murder. Not like me—I’m weak-willed, and I give in easily…but I’m too cowardly to do anything. I was really scared yesterday, but I eventually thought that if I was the only one Kirakuma threatened, then he picked the wrong person. If you put a knife in my hands, I’d tremble so much that I’d drop it…” He laughed.

“Not funny. Don’t describe yourself like that, Mako-chin,” Nazuna chided. “I can see that what you call cowardice is really what makes you shine, okay? …Anyway, I trust your judgment, so I’m sure all of you can pull through this.”

“Of course! We wouldn’t want Nito-senpai to worry,” Makoto grinned. “Besides, I have the role of justice to fill by monitoring. I have to stay true to that role, right? I’ll make sure not a single murder happens!”

“That’s the spirit.” Nazuna smiled back. “We really have to keep a positive attitude, especially in times like this, huh? I know monitoring is really hard—it’s hard on me, too—and I’m really grateful that you’re volunteering your time without complaint. Don’t push yourself too hard, alright? If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just tell me and I’ll have someone else fill the position for a while.”

“I’m alright, Nito-senpai,” Makoto assured him. “In fact, you look like you’re really tired too. It’s hard not to be in a tense situation like this…Maybe both of us should just unwind together sometime? It’ll ease the pressure and make our lives easier.”

“Good point.” Nazuna nodded. “How about this evening, when Shinobun is on duty? We can…play a game of tennis, perhaps?”

“Tennis…It feels like forever since we last played.” Makoto smiled wistfully. “Yeah, let’s do it. It’ll be like the good ol’ days.”

“Great. I’ll see you at five o’clock, then~”

“You got it.”

With that, Nazuna handed his chair to Makoto, and then slipped out of the room, closing the door softly to leave him to his monitoring.

 

\--

 

“What do you _mean_ you have other plans?” Izumi demanded.

Seeing his expression, Makoto turned a bit pale. “Um, I already agreed to join Nito-senpai for a game of tennis? We decided on it earlier today…Is there something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong! Other than whatever made you decide to go play tennis all of a sudden!” Izumi clutched at his head, irritated.

Makoto stared at him in confusion. “I…don’t really get what you’re trying to do, Izumi-san…Do you have some urgent business with me? Is that why you waited outside the room the whole time until the end of my shift?”

“No, nothing _urgent_ …” Izumi muttered, almost to himself. “But I went to all the trouble of waiting for you…Is it too much to ask for you to give up an hour for your Onii-chan? I just wanted to spend some time with you, that’s all, Yuu-kun.”

His eyes were nearly pleading, which made Makoto even more confused. Why was Izumi acting like this all of a sudden, almost like how he was at DDD? Was something bad going to happen? Was he about to die or something? He scrambled for an answer but couldn’t find any.

“Umm…I’m really sorry if I’m troubling you in some way…But whatever it is you want to do, can’t it wait till later, or tomorrow? Nito-senpai is probably waiting for me, you see, and if I don’t show up he’ll get worried…”

“No, not later, definitely not tomorrow!” Izumi snapped, grabbing onto Makoto’s arm. “Don’t you understand—I need Yuu-kun—right— _now?_ ”

“Eep?!” The way Izumi said that sent goosebumps up Makoto’s spine. He tried to maintain his composure while responding. “I-I mean…if you want, Izumi-san, you can come and join us at tennis. I’m sure Nito-senpai wouldn’t mind…?”

“Ugh, no, so~ annoying!” Izumi gritted his teeth. “Three people can’t play tennis anyway, and I don’t want to share…it…with someone else…” His voice fell silent, and then he let out a sigh and released his grip. “Fine, it doesn’t matter. You’ll be fine on your own, I guess. Go ahead and enjoy yourself with Nazunyan.”

“Uhm…I-Is that so, Izumi-san?” Makoto backed away from him, his heart still racing from the sudden shock. “Gosh…I thought you were going to abduct me again…”

“No, your Onii-chan would never do that,” Izumi insisted, reaching out his hands as if to grab him again, but also as if to embrace him. “Don’t you know that…I only want to protect you…Yuu-kun?”

But the subject of his words had already turned away from his clutches and escaped down the corridor.

 

\--

 

“It was a genius idea to use our evening time to practice, Subaru,” Mao said. “Somehow, that’s just what I expected of you.”

Subaru was already jumping and running around in the empty practice room, like he was a bird just let out of its cage. “Ahaha, of course~! An idol’s duty is to sing and dance, after all! I felt so weird after not singing for so many days.”

Mao nodded. “In a situation like this, there’s not much we can do, so we’re just making use of time effectively. We can’t become so depressed that we lose our practice, and have to train wildly to catch back up when we return.”

“Exactly, that’s the spirit of Trickstar!” Subaru beamed. “We won’t go back only to see that we’ve fallen far behind Eden, or all the others!”

“That’s right.” Mao gave Subaru a fist bump. The orange-haired boy’s positivity seemed to be contagious, putting a smile on his face as well. “It’s nice that all the equipment is here and ready to go, and all our CDs are still in our lockers,” he commented. “And since no one else is in the mood to practice, the rooms are open and free for use. It’d be a waste not to use them, especially when they were so hard to book in the normal days.” He sorted through the CDs in his hands before looking up. “Are Hokuto and Makoto still not showing up?”

“Ukki~ probably has Broadcasting Committee things to do,” Subaru said. “But it’s weird that Hokke~ isn’t here. I thought I already told him our meeting time. In fact…I haven’t seen him since lunch.”

“That’s strange. Did he say anything to you?”

“Hmm, not really…” Subaru thought awhile. “Come to think of it, during lunch I was asking him what he wanted to do after we get out of here…and then he kinda shut down the conversation and left. He said he had some things he wanted to think about alone.”

“That’s troubling—is he really okay?” Mao pondered. “Although, he is the type that gets stronger after thinking things through. Do you think we should go look for him, just in case?”

“Hokke…” Subaru paused, then shook his head. “No, Hokke~ will be all right by himself, I believe in him. Even though I really wanted to perform with the four of us together…Even though two people isn’t the complete Trickstar…Tonight I just want to sing. I want to sing more than anything. The four of us can always shine together next time!” He threw his arms wide with a flourish, but his next sentence was said in barely more than a whisper. “Besides, if he’s here, I might cry, so it might be better if he wasn’t…”

“What did you say?” Mao asked.

“Nothing—just—perform to your heart’s delight, Sari~!” Subaru went on. “We’ll stay here, and sing, and Hokke~ will come find us if he wants to, like a prince being led astray by a mermaid’s song~!” He was smiling more fiercely than Mao had ever seen him, as if he was threatening to light up the evening sky with his radiance.

“That’s a pretty poetic way of putting it,” Mao laughed. “But I don’t know how much Hokuto would appreciate that.”

“Yeah—he’d probably call me ‘Idiot Akehoshi’ and give me a knock on the head like usual~”

Mao smiled as he sorted through the batch of CDs he had brought. “All right. What would you like to sing first, Subaru?”

“We can sing anything we want right now, without constraints of a live or anything, right?” Subaru said. “So let’s go through some older songs, like ‘Rebellion Star’!”

“Ah, right,” Mao replied. “That song brings me back to DDD days. I still can’t quite believe it—we really defied all odds and pulled off a rebellion, huh?”

“We’ve done plenty of even greater things since then, too!” Subaru added. “And I’m sure that the things Trickstar will do in the future will be even better. Treasure every moment that you stand onstage, Sari~, because each one of them is a miracle!”

“A miracle,” Mao echoed, inserting the CD into the player, feeling a hint of nostalgia. So they sang. They performed “Rebellion Star”, followed with “Heart→Beater!!!!” and “Diamond Summer”. They did “Rebellion Star” again, but with more wild shouting and vivid cheering. They then reenacted “Breakthrough!” the same way they did on the SS stage, and then finished everything with “Cherry Happy Stream.”

Of course, as Mao sang and danced like he was finally alive again, he wondered if perhaps this was all going to be futile. Maybe they’d never have a chance to go back. Maybe the prospect of all four of Trickstar standing onstage again is nothing but a dream. Maybe the scandal about him would really be released, as Ritsu had received it but he told him over and over not to kill anyone for it, it’s not worth it, and he might pay for that decision by having his career ended right then and there. But it didn’t matter; at least for the few moments they were here it didn’t have to matter. He would close his eyes and deceive himself into believing that the dream could last a little longer, just a little longer, until the music comes to an end.

 

\--

 

The sky was already entirely dark by the time Nazuna and Makoto finally decided to return to their dorm. They had rather overdone their little excursion, Makoto thought; after a few games of tennis, they settled down in the relaxing evening air to talk, and the time flew past before he even knew it. He was grateful, though. He never realized that he and his senpai could have so much to talk about; they had never had a proper chance to do so until now. They spoke of their units that they loved so much, how they could each sacrifice everything to see the others grow strong. They spoke of their fears and anxieties after arriving on the island, and their hopes for the future, no matter how improbable.

As they walked past the western school building on their way to the dorms, Makoto stopped in his tracks. “Ah, I’m going to take a little detour here. You can go on ahead if you want, Nito-senpai.”

“No, it’s dangerous to be alone at this time,” Nazuna argued. “I’ll come with you. Where are you headed?”

“To see my unitmates,” Makoto explained. “I think they were meeting in one of the practice rooms, and I want to check if they’re still there. It’s late, so they’ve probably packed up already, but if they’re still there I want to walk back with them.”

“I see,” Nazuna said. “Ah, why didn’t you tell me earlier? We didn’t have to stay for so long—you could have joined them for a while.”

“It slipped my mind too,” Makoto chuckled. “We were having too much fun. I should probably apologize to them when I see them…”

They walked up the stairs of the western school building; the place seemed to be deserted, as it was almost 9 o’clock already, and most students had returned to their dorms. The practice room in question was on the second floor, and Makoto pushed open the door only to find that the room was empty. Only a few Trickstar CDs lay strewn out on the ground. So Subaru and the others had went back already—he was about to turn and leave when he caught sight of a lone figure on the far end of the corridor.

He squinted. “Is that…Sakasaki-kun?”

The figure which seemed like Natsume also noticed them, and immediately, as if running from something, he turned on his heels and slipped directly into the classroom in front of him.

“Hey—wait!” Makoto found himself yelling, as he started running down the hallway.

“Huh? Mako-chin, where are you going?” Nazuna asked, startled at his sudden reaction.

“I don’t know—I just felt suddenly that there’s something fishy with the way he was acting!” Makoto replied over his shoulder. “I want to check what he’s up to, ‘cause I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Uhh—I don’t get it, but…” Nazuna ran along with him.

They reached the end of the hallway and Makoto spared a glance at the room Natsume had entered. Of course, it was 2-A, his own classroom. He held his breath and pushed open the door. “Excuse me, Sakasaki-”

He stopped. He was speaking to no one. The room was empty.

“Huh…?” he murmured out loud.

He scanned the entire room carefully, but there was no human in sight. The room was brightly lit, so hardly anyone could hide in the shadows, but he still bent down to check under the desks. Nothing. He even pulled back the door to check behind it, but there was no one hidden there, either.

“He’s…not there?” Nazuna breathed.

“That’s weird…That’s really weird…My eyes aren’t playing tricks, right?” Makoto said worriedly. “You saw him come in here, too, right?”

Nazuna nodded. “We couldn’t have both seen wrong at the same time…”

“I mean, I’ve heard Switch are magicians, but was that an actual disappearing spell?” Makoto scratched his head. “I wonder what it all means…”

“It’s all right. We can ask him tomorrow.” Nazuna gently placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder and guided him back outside. “For now let’s just go back to the dorms.”

Makoto nodded, still a bit dumbfounded. He reached out to pull the door shut—

—and right the moment he touched the handle, a piercing scream ripped through the air.

Both students gasped and their heads snapped up.

“The third floor—”

“Who—?!”

“ _Shinobun?!_ ” Nazuna cried, the voice finally registering as one he knew.

And only a split second after he yelled the name, all the lights went out.

Darkness engulfed them.

Makoto could only follow his senpai’s frantic yells as he stumbled through the blackness in a frantic race to the broadcasting room.

 

\--

 

In the confines of a complete absence of light, even simply moving was a chore.

Luckily, there were windows adjacent to the staircases, and dim moonlight shone through them, so once they successfully reached the stairs they could climb it relatively easily. Upon entering the third floor hallway, however, vision became utterly hopeless to their light-accustomed eyes.

“ _SHINOBUN!!_ ” Nazuna yelled out into the darkness, praying for an answer. He heard none. What he heard, instead, were frantic footsteps.

Someone was running.

Away from them. The steps were getting fainter.

“Hey! Stop! Who is it?” Nazuna yelled, but whoever it was didn’t even slow down. It was almost as if they were running for their life.

Nazuna lurched forward, keeping a hand on the walls to guide him, trying to follow the footsteps. But the person reached the end of the hall and moved quickly down the stairs, and then he couldn’t be heard anymore.

In his haste, though, Nazuna had caught just one glimpse of the figure when he reached the end of the hall lighted by a window—a glimpse of—orange hair? But that was a guess in itself. It could just as easily be the light playing tricks on him.

“Nito-senpai.” The fear-stricken voice of Makoto rang out from behind him. “The broadcasting room…Third door on the left…”

“Right. We have to find Shinobun first.” Nazuna righted himself, and moved his hand along the wall to count the number of doors. He stopped at the third door, swallowing nervously.

“Shinobun! Are you in there?”

No reply.

He gritted his teeth and pulled open the door. Pitch darkness greeted him; the air inside was as still as death. He took a few steps inside the room. “Shinobun? Are you in there?”

He took another step, and his foot caught on something.

“— _AAH!!_ ”

“Nito-senpai?!” Makoto echoed his shriek.

Nazuna fell to the floor with a _crash_. He was breathing hard as he picked himself back up, not even feeling the pain compared to the fear. He had tripped on something—what? He bent down to feel on the ground, and came into contact with something rectangular and heavy.

“A…book?”

“Huh?” Makoto asked weakly. “What did you say? A book?”

“I can’t see properly, but that’s my guess,” Nazuna replied, his heartbeat slowing a little. “But rather than that—There’s no one in here?”

Nazuna felt his way around the room, scared that something—or some _one_ —might jump out at him any moment, but the room remained perfectly stagnant. He found the empty chair, the desk stacked up with snacks, the monitors that had all stopped working upon the power outage. There was nothing out of place except for the book on the ground, but that was all. And Shinobu was nowhere to be found.

“Ugh—No—What happened? Where did he go?!” Nazuna was on the edge of panic, but he stopped and tried to do the breathing exercises that Hajime had taught him. In—Out—In—Out. He emerged feeling his head was just a little clearer.

“M-Maybe he’s escaped somewhere,” Makoto suggested. “I’ll go check—”

“No.” Nazuna stopped him. “Don’t go. It’s too dangerous without any lights.”

“But Shinobu-kun—”

“If you go after him you might get attacked too!” Nazuna yelled. “The blackout—it’s planned, I’m sure of it. That’s our first priority. _We have to get the lights back on before anything else happens._ ”

And with that he ran out the door, not even bothering to watch his step this time.

“Wait—Nito-senpai!” Makoto called out after him. “I’m coming too!”

“You stay there!” Nazuna ordered. “Just hide!”

“But—”

“I want you to be safe, okay?!”

Nazuna sprinted down the hall, hoping against hope that he could make it on time. The electrical room, he remembered, was on the far end of the other side of the school, on the first floor. Quite a long trek to make. He tumbled down the stairs, nearly tripping but not pausing to care. A dull, pulsing tone in the back of his mind reminded him that this was nearly suicide, that he would be dead within seconds if he ran into anyone ill-intentioned. But he didn’t have time to care. He had only one thought in his head now— _run_.

Luckily, the halls seemed to be deserted. As he ran through the second-floor passageway between the two school buildings, he looked out the window and thought he saw a few people rushing outside, probably those who were trying to investigate the cause of the power outage. It seems the entire school was blacked out, not just their building. Nazuna ran even faster and turned the corner into the eastern school building, dashing down the pitch-black hall until he crashed straight into someone running towards him.

“Aah!” he yelled, thrown onto the ground by the momentum. The other person also let out a shout, falling back.

“Move, you little—” The other person was about to shove Nazuna out of his way before he stopped, probably recognizing his voice. “Nazunyan?”

“I-Izumi-chin?” Nazuna couldn’t see anything in the total darkness, but the only person that called him that was undoubtedly Izumi. “What are you doing?”

“Where’s Yuu-kun? Wasn’t he supposed to be with you?” Izumi snapped, not bothering to answer. Nazuna couldn’t see his expression, but his voice was more frantic than usual.

“I left him at the broadcasting room…Wait—where are you going?” he yelled as Izumi roughly pushed past him.

“Some help you are, leaving him alone! I’ll be the one to protect my Yuu-kun!” The taller boy shouted back, and in a flash he had rounded the corner.

For the first time, Nazuna was hit by a wave of anxiety and regret—he shouldn’t have left Makoto alone there. His mind was rushed and he couldn’t think straight. But it’s too late to turn back now. As off-putting as Izumi may seem, Nazuna knew his love for Makoto was unparalleled—so maybe he could do a better job of protecting his junior. Nazuna squeezed his hands together, praying that nothing would happen to them as he rushed onwards toward his destination.

 

\--

 

Makoto paced the room, biting his nails out of fear and worry. He had wanted to chase after Nazuna, but before he made it out of the room he tripped on that damn _book_ again and by the time he got up his senpai had disappeared. He was too scared to step out alone, and he hated himself for it.

With each second that passed he hated himself more and more, for doing nothing but sit and hide when an underclassman could very possibly be in danger, for being so utterly useless like he always was, for dragging the team down. With each second his breaths grew more uneven and his nails were whittled down to shorter and shorter stumps until he finally decided he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t wait. He had to _do_ something.

What could he do, then? He had to search for Shinobu, of course. If they had heard the scream correctly, Shinobu should still be on the third floor somewhere. But it was entirely possible he had snuck out during the time that Makoto was in the room. Makoto called for Shinobu’s name several times, but still not a soul answered.

He was too scared to open any of the other doors for fear that someone might jump out at him, so he changed tactics. He decided to move out of the building, at least, so he could see some light again, and hopefully catch anyone who was outside and ask them to help. He remembered the figure who had run away from them—who was he? Where did he go? There was probably no use tracking him down now.

He managed to shuffle to the stairs and walk down. The second floor seemed to be deserted; he moved to the first floor, and then almost had a heart attack when a voice called his name from the pitch darkness of the hallway.

“Yuu-kun~?”

“Huh?!” Makoto jumped. “Izumi…but that voice isn’t…?”

“I was just calling you the way Secchan would,” the voice laughed. A dark figure moved from the shadows and walked toward him, and once he was caught in the moonlight from the window, Makoto could tell who it was. “You’re…Ritsu-kun?”

“Bingo~.” The dark-haired vampire didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry, and put an arm lazily on the staircase railings. “Before you ask, I was resting in one of the classrooms before the scream and the blackout happened…So I wanted to investigate.”

“Ah, it was Shinobu-kun who screamed,” Makoto explained hastily. “I’m trying to look for him now—but I don’t know where he is, and I can’t see anything in this darkness…”

“Well, to be able to see, creatures like you need light,” Ritsu pointed out. “I suppose you don’t have a flashlight handy?”

“No…I’ve never seen one on campus. Nito-senpai went to turn on the lights, but I don’t know how he’s going to do it…” Makoto stopped, sucking in a breath. “That’s right—he won’t be able to see anything!”

“Hmm…” Ritsu thought for a few moments. “If you don’t have a flashlight, then I suspect we’ll need something else. You’re in a hurry, right? Then run with me.”

“Huh?” Makoto blinked as Ritsu rushed past him toward the exit, and he had no choice but to follow. But before he was shrouded in darkness again, Makoto caught a glimpse of Ritsu’s hand, and his breath caught for a moment. Was that…a faint smear of blood that he had on his wrist?

 

\--

 

Nazuna was on the verge of tears. How could he have made such a stupid mistake?

He had made it all the way to the electrical room and managed to let himself in. But faced with rows upon rows of unfamiliar machines clothed in complete darkness, he couldn’t even find where the switchboard _was_ , let alone know which switch to pull. He had never been in here before, and didn’t know his way around the equipment, so he could only search blindly—both literally and figuratively.

It’s useless, he thought after placing his hand on cold metal for the tenth time in a row. He’d get nowhere like this. Somewhere out there, Shinobu was in danger, but he had entirely no way of helping him. He wanted to kick himself—why did he suddenly assume that the lights were more important than searching for his junior? Was it not due to his own fear?

He didn’t want to give up, not when he had already come so far, but he felt he had no choice. He was just thinking about leaving when the door to the room suddenly crashed open—and a flurry of lights burst inside.

No, not lights. People carrying lights.

Lights flashing in every color of the rainbow, lights waving in the air.

It took him a few seconds to fully realize what was happening. They were a swarm of cyalumes and penlights, and Makoto was at the front of the line, carrying them in his hand. Following him were Ritsu and the three young Ra*bits members, each holding several cyalumes in hand.

“We brought these for you, Nii-chan, from the auditorium,” Tomoya explained breathlessly. “Because we thought you probably couldn’t see.”

“It was Ritsu-kun’s idea,” Makoto added. “And we bumped into the Ra*bits members on the way out, who really wanted to help.”

“We’re cheering! Cheering for Nii-chan!” Mitsuru yelled, jumping up and down.

The cyalumes continued to wave in the air, illuminating the room in flashes of neon color, almost as if this was a live stage, and he was staring out at an applauding audience. Everything shone—the lights, the room, the smiles on his juniors’ faces.

Nazuna _really_ felt like he was going to cry now.

 

\--

 

Once they had the lights, it was easy to find the switchboard and flip the general switch back on. The overhead lights blinked back to life, much to Makoto’s relief. He still didn’t know _why_ the switch was off, but that was something to think about later. He glanced at his watch—9:17 PM. They had taken longer than he thought.

Right now, they had to find Shinobu.

“Where should we look?” He wondered out loud. Truth be told, he had absolutely no clue where the little ninja could be.

“The easiest way…is to go to the broadcasting room,” Nazuna decided. “With the electricity on, the cameras will all start working again, and we’ll be able to see everywhere in the school. Hopefully, we can catch a glimpse of Shinobun there.”

“Let’s go, then!” Mitsuru yelled, dashing ahead.

They ran all the way to the broadcasting room through empty halls. Once they arrived, Nazuna checked all the monitors and began setting them back up, while Makoto glanced nervously around the room. He saw the book that had tripped them earlier laying on the floor; he picked it up and looked at the cover. It seemed to be a thick, heavy encyclopedia, though he had no idea why it was here. He was just about to ask Nazuna about it when his gaze caught on something else on the ground, glinting just a little under the light.

It was a lone shuriken.

“This is…Shinobu-kun’s?” he gasped, picking it up.

Nazuna turned around immediately, his eyes widening when he saw the shuriken. “It _is_ …So he dropped it here? What in the world happened?”

“I’m not sure.” Makoto frowned, an air of uneasiness creeping up on him. On instinct, he turned and pushed the door open, looking outside into the hallway. There, a few meters away from him, was another shuriken on the ground.

“ _A trail of shurikens!_ This is what we missed in the dark!”

Ritsu and the other three Ra*bits members all rushed out to see. Further down the hall, they spotted another shuriken, and yet another near the stairs.

“We’ll follow the trail!” Makoto yelled to Nazuna. “You’ll be okay in the broadcasting room, right?”

“No problem!” Nazuna called back.

The search party rushed down the hall and followed the shurikens down the southern staircase, the same way that, Makoto remembered, the unknown figure had ran when they first came to the third floor. They continued onto the second floor, where the trail seemed to disappear until sharp-eyed Ritsu saw a final shuriken snagged right beside the door of classroom 2-A.

“It ends here,” he said.

“Shinobu-kun?” Makoto called, and then tried opening the door. It wouldn’t budge.

“It’s locked?” his eyes grew wide. “No way—we were just here a while ago!”

No matter how forcefully he tried the door, it remained shut tight. A wave of dread hit Makoto. “Shinobu-kun!” he yelled, pounding at the door, but no answer came.

“Is he in there?” Hajime said frightfully.

“The keys,” Ritsu reminded Makoto, who was in a near panic. “Who has the keys to the classroom?”

“That would be…Hidaka-kun, the class rep!” Makoto realized. “He’s the only one with the keys…Can someone go find him?”

“A broadcast would be faster!” Tomoya said. “I’ll run up and ask Nii-chan to broadcast for Hokuto-senpai!”

A few moments later, a schoolwide broadcast was sent out asking for Hidaka Hokuto to come to classroom 2-A as soon as possible. A few more minutes passed before their confused and alarmed class rep came running up the stairs. He was half changed out of his uniform and had probably come straight from his dorm.

“We need you to open the door, Hidaka-kun,” said Makoto briefly, pointing to the locked door. “We’ll explain later.”

“Got it.” Hokuto asked no questions and fished out his key, opening the door with a _click_.

Nothing in the world could have prepared them for what they saw inside.

Hokuto was the first to enter, and he cried out immediately. Directly inside the room, almost right at their feet, lay the bloodied, tattered form of a boy they knew too well—Akehoshi Subaru.

But that wasn’t all. As Hokuto dropped to his knees in dismay, Makoto noticed something lying further inside the room, something he didn't want to believe. It was the motionless body of the little ninja, Sengoku Shinobu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see I'm experimenting with a different type of case this time. The tangle of people, witnesses, and events are intentional and the key to sorting out what happened.
> 
> I'm really curious as to what you guys can make of this chapter! Of course, more important things would be revealed during the investigation as well, but if anyone would like to hazard a guess, go ahead!


	11. 2.5 Abnormal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tell me…Akehoshi…Was it all a dream? Was it a dream bound to disappear forever, this whole time…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I said I would update twice a week, I didn't expect my chapters to almost double in length...so I technically am uploading twice a week I'm just uploading both times at once :|
> 
> Also thank you so much for 1000 hits already?? Your support is literally the main motivation I have for writing this so I cannot thank you guys enough. I will try and continue to deliver painful content for you all ;_;

_(A short while ago…)_

Tsukasa and Arashi were walking down the first-floor hallway of the western school building, guiding each other in the darkness, when the lights suddenly came on again. After such a long time of straining to see in the dark, Tsukasa felt for an instant as if he had been blinded, and squeezed his eyes shut in surprise. So when Arashi suddenly let out a joyous cry and pulled him ahead, he had to focus for a few moments before realizing what was happening.

“Ah, Narukami-senpai, is that—” he said, finally noticing who they were running towards.

“It _is_! It’s Izumi-chan! Heyyy, Izumi-chaaan~!” Arashi waved his hand excitedly. “I’m so glad we found you! And we can _see_ you! The lights are on and you can see my beautiful face and I can see yours. What a relief!”

The silver-haired boy in question had just walked out of classroom 1-A, closing the door behind him, and seemed a bit surprised upon seeing his two juniors. He frowned. “Hey, Naru-kun, Kasa-kun. What are you two doing here?”

“We’re looking for everyone else,” Tsukasa explained. “Well, specifically, we’re looking for Leader. The three of us were together, but when the blackout happened he ran out yelling _‘Inspiration!’_ and simply disappeared…It has been quite troublesome for the two of us, who have been searching for him ever since.”

“Ou-sama disappearing again…” Izumi groaned. “That guy just never gives us a break, does he? I get it, I’ll search with you. Let’s hope he didn’t run into any trouble with the school all dark like that.”

“Awh, Izumi-chan, you’re concerned~” Arashi teased. “You always act so cold, but your soft side shows whenever you’re with Ou-sama or Makoto-chan.”

“Shut up, it’s annoying.” Izumi pulled a face and proceeded to ignore him.

“Say, Sena-senpai, what were you doing just now in a first-year classroom?” Tsukasa inquired, mostly because he was curious.

“I was looking for Yuu-kun,” his senpai answered nonchalantly. “He wasn’t in the broadcasting room as I’ve been told, so I was worried, and I’ve been looking all over the school for him. Although, looking for Ou-sama and looking for Yuu-kun are basically the same thing, so we can move together from here.”

“Absolutely,” Arashi said. “The blackout sure was scary. It’s hard not to be tense when something like that happens, and during a time like this, no less…”

“ _Shh!_ Narukami-senpai, do you hear that?” Tsukasa suddenly made a _shush_ motion, stopping Arashi in his tracks.

“…?”

A moment later, they all realized there was a voice coming from somewhere outside the building. It was a faint “ _Wahahahaha!_ ”

“Ou-sama!” Izumi yelled, rushing immediately toward the exit, with Arashi and Tsukasa right behind him. Indeed, once they filed outside, they saw their leader running around the building, a pen in his hand, clearly more excited than he had been in quite a while. When he saw the trio approaching him, he stopped and gave them a cheerful greeting.

“Sena~ Naru~ Suo~! Ucchuu~☆ Wow, it’s such a coincidence that we ran into each other! Right when I wanted to find you guys! I’ve had so many ideas flowing into my brain and I didn’t have anywhere to write them down—and besides, it was dark so I couldn’t see! Wahahaha!”

“Leader…” Tsukasa chastised, again quite exasperated with their King, although he really should be used to it by now. “Don’t go running off alone like that next time! Surely even you must know that things are dangerous at times like this. We’ve already had a murder happen here. I would hate it if our King were to fall so prematurely, all right?”

“Ugh…Suo~ you’re such a spoilsport…” Leo complained, holding his head down. “But you’re right, I made everyone worry again, didn’t I? I really should have thought more about it…It’s my fault. But still!” His head snapped up and his eyes sparkled like a child’s. “The sudden darkness was so inspiring—everything is shrouded in mystery! I ran around the school and even though it’s my school I don’t feel like I know it at all! I know that feeling…running and hiding and crashing into things without knowing where I am or where I’m going…” He paused to take a breath. “And the music came into my mind then! And I wanted to write it down but I couldn’t see, there was nothing to light me up with, even _that_ was gone…But the lights are on now so I’ll write down my masterpiece real quick! I’ll call it ‘Rhapsody of the Darkness!’”

As Leo proceeded to attempt to write on the wall of the building, Izumi pulled him back in annoyance. “That’s great, Ou-sama, but leave the wall alone. That’s vandalism, you know?”

“Here, write on this.” Tsukasa swiftly took out the notebook that he kept with him specifically for this purpose, and handed it to their leader. Leo snatched it over and began gleefully scribbling, a bright smile dancing on his face as he composed, making it hard for Tsukasa to stay mad at him. It was always hard to stay mad at their carefree King.

“But why did you come outside, Ou-sama?” Arashi asked.

“Hmm…?” Leo was so engrossed in his music that the words barely seemed to reach him. “Ummm…I’m outside because…What again? …Light, that’s right. I couldn’t see; I was looking for light. I was looking…for the last strand of illumination! That makes a good lyric! I’m getting the hang of it now—lyrics aren’t so bad after all!” He laughed, singing aloud as he wrote.

“I guess there’s no use talking to him now,” Arashi said, amused. Izumi nodded, smiling slightly to himself.

None of them seemed to notice when an announcement crackled through the school, asking for someone to go to class 2-A. It probably wasn’t any of their business, anyway. But the next announcement, only moments later, reached them like a horrendous wake-up alarm, causing even Leo’s pen to stop and Tsukasa’s face to whiten in fear.

_“Attention all students. A body has been discovered. After a period of investigation time, a Class Trial will be held where the identity of the killer is discussed.”_

The dreadful sound of Kirakuma’s voice ripped through them like a screeching melody, and they all knew what it meant. Someone had just died, and someone else was about to die very soon.

 

\--

 

Makoto was torn. On one side, he had his best friend and precious unitmate, someone that he loved to bits, someone that he wanted to hold tight and cry for. On the other, there was his innocent junior whom they had been searching for all this time, whom he almost had a duty to protect. He didn’t know who to go to first.

He finally left Subaru to Hokuto for the time being and rushed towards Shinobu, making the excuse in his mind that Subaru’s corpse was too bloody and terrifying to look at. He reached the little ninja’s still body and noticed at once that there were marks on his neck—like those of fingers. Someone had tried to strangle him.

Just the thought of that made Makoto sick to his stomach, so much that he wanted to back away—but the younger ones from Ra*bits were starting to come over as well, and he didn’t want to seem like a coward in front of them, so he bent down to check Shinobu’s pulse.

He wasn’t expecting anything. To him, Shinobu’s face looked utterly colorless and lifeless. But when he felt—he felt something.

Very, very weak, but there was something.

“ _He’s not dead!_ ” Makoto cried out, so ecstatic that he couldn’t even think straight anymore, he just grabbed onto Shinobu and shook him. “Are you alive, Shinobu-kun? Please stay alive!!”

“He’s alive?” Mitsuru gasped, dashing over to his classmate. “Is he really alive?”

“Is he unconscious? Can we get him to wake up?” Tomoya asked worriedly.

Makoto was panicking, he didn’t know what to do in this situation, he had never taken any first aid classes—but in an instant, Shinobu let out a little cough, and his eyes fluttered open.

“ _Shinobu-kun!_ You’re alive! I’m so glad…”

Makoto threw his arms around the little ninja, eyes overflowing with tears, thanking all the gods that he could think of for this miracle. Shinobu, who had probably just narrowly escaped death, didn’t say anything; he _couldn’t_ say anything right now. He simply looked around him in fear and bewilderment, one hand moving to his neck which was clearly causing a lot of pain for him. He was panting hard and trembling. Makoto let go, scared that he might break him if he wasn’t careful.

“We have to send him to the infirmary! He still needs to recover…Tomoya-kun, Mitsuru-kun, can you help?” he directed, putting on a braver front than what he actually felt inside.

“Leave it to us!” Tomoya said, gently hoisting up Shinobu’s legs.

“Let’s go, then! Heave-ho!” Mitsuru added, taking up his upper body. The two boys picked Shinobu up and carried him outside the room, running in the direction of the infirmary. Makoto breathed a sigh of relief as he saw them go. At least one of them would be safe for now…

His heart sank when he remembered the other one.

Hokuto was still kneeling next to Subaru’s body, holding his hand tightly. Throughout all the commotion, he hadn’t moved an inch, and he hadn’t said anything. One look at his expression told Makoto that there would be no wondrous miracles this time. Their cheerful, sparkling, energetic friend was gone for good.

“Akehoshi-kun…” Makoto sank down next to Hokuto, finally able to let out all the fear and misery that he had pressed back inside him while playing the strong upperclassman. He felt crushed, as if all the air had been sucked straight out of his lungs. How could someone as full of life as Subaru, who practically embodied life itself…be killed? He couldn’t believe it. Subaru was lying right in front of him, but he still couldn’t believe it.

Subaru’s body was covered in blood, but it wasn’t hard to make out that there was one fatal wound—a long, deep gash to his abdomen, nearly slicing him right in half. Makoto cringed. How could anyone do this? He felt a flare of fury for the person who cut his friend down like this. It was beyond cruel. It was—

“—That’s just horrible!” Someone’s shocked voice rang out behind him.

Makoto turned and saw Nazuna standing in the doorway, panting for breath after probably having sprinted over from the broadcasting room. There were more people around him, too. A small crowd had begun to gather after the body discovery announcement played; most of them had heard the earlier broadcast mentioning 2-A and put two and two together. Makoto spotted Mao among their midst, who was crying but staying to one side like he was too scared to enter. He beckoned for him to come in.

“Oh, Subaru…” Mao broke down completely once he saw his friend’s corpse up close. “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry!…It was my fault, it was all my fault!”

“Isara-kun!” Makoto cried, alarmed. “Calm down!”

Mao didn’t, and instead knelt down, lowering his head in anguish, grabbing at his hair ferociously. “I should’ve stayed with you…I shouldn’t have went back alone when you told me to…I didn’t know something like this would happen! Damn it! You told me so happily that you wanted all four of us to gather tomorrow…Where did that promise go? _Why did you die?_ ”

But Subaru’s face stayed still and unmoving. He had no answer for his grieving friend.

“It’s not your fault, Isara-kun,” Makoto said while tears ran down his face uncontrollably. “I should have…protected him better…I should have been more careful…”

If he looked hard and squinted, he could almost believe there was a wisp of a smile on Subaru’s face, like he was trying hard not to laugh, like this was all a joke. If he tried he could almost believe that Subaru would sit up right the next moment, grinning and saying “I gotcha! I gotcha, didn’t I?” and they would all laugh in relief, and hug one another, and make him promise never to do that again. He wished more than anything that it could all be a joke, but it wasn’t.

No one was laughing here.

Hokuto had been crying silently. He hadn’t let go of Subaru’s hand since the beginning, and now was squeezing it even more tightly.

“What will happen…”

“Huh?” Makoto turned toward Hokuto, teary-eyed. It was the first time he had spoken since coming into the room.

“What will happen…to Trickstar? First our Producer…and then Akehoshi…Are we just crumbling apart like this? Without all of us, we won’t be ‘Trickstar’ ever again…”

He cried, pressing Subaru’s cold hand to his face as if to wipe away his tears. “Tell me…Akehoshi…Was it all a dream? Was it a dream bound to disappear forever, this whole time…?”

 

\--

 

_Ping._

“Doggie.” Rei looked towards his junior. “What was that mechanical tone?”

“Huh?” Koga looked confused for a moment, then fumbled in his pocket. “Oh, it’s this, I think—the electronic ID card. A notification that…the Kirakuma Files are ready.”

“I see,” Rei said, glancing around him. They were standing outside classroom 2-A, as were most if not all of the other students. “I suppose the file delivers when all of us have discovered the body, perhaps. Doggie, would you be so kind as to tell me what it says? I can’t quite work my way around the technology.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Koga grumbled, but went on to open the file, reading off it. “Victim is Akehoshi Subaru…Sliced once with long, sharp object across the abdomen. Died of organ failure and blood loss. The time of death is…9:15 PM.”

“Interesting,” Rei mused. “And the picture, please?”

Koga held the ID card up for Rei to see. On it, a full-body silhouette of Subaru was displayed, showing a wound exactly like what was described—a long slash through the stomach, from one end to the other.

“One clean cut…” Rei thought out loud. “It strikes me as strange. What sort of weapon could have made a cut like this? Surely, a kitchen knife is too small. It would be more suited for stabbing, not slashing.”

“Beats me,” Koga mumbled. He closed the file and slid the ID card back into his pocket.

“Oh, my,” Rei chuckled. “Forgive me. I hadn’t considered—you were friends with this Akehoshi-kun, were you not?”

“We weren’t _friends_ ,” Koga turned to one side haughtily. “We were just…dog buddies, and all that. I’m a lone wolf, so I don’t know what you mean when you say _friends_.”

“Alright, Doggie,” Rei smiled and patted Koga on the head, which he bristled angrily to. “I’m quite interested in your ‘dog buddy’ Akehoshi-kun’s death. There are several things I find very curious, so I’d like to investigate closer.”

The two of them walked towards the front of the crowd, and saw that Mao had just come out of the classroom. The second-year was facing the crowd and bowing his head down. “Excuse me,” he called out in a slightly hoarse voice.

The crowd hushed, allowing for him to continue. “We would really appreciate it if you could leave us alone here with Subaru for a while. We’ll take care of investigating the crime scene, so could everyone else spread to other areas until the trial? It would be a great help.”

He kept his head down while speaking, making it clear this was a personal request. Most of the students nodded sympathetically and began moving away, but Rei held his hand up.

“Hold, please, everyone.”

Several pairs of quizzical eyes turned to him. Rei looked through the crowd, not entirely sure what he was searching for, finding everything and nothing suspicious all at once. He cleared his throat and spoke. “Since we are pressed for time, I will get straight to the point. Is there anyone who would like to confess to their crime right now?”

“Hah?” Koga blurted out. “Why would anyone do _that_? If they spill it’s certain death, ain’t it?”

“But this is irrational,” Rei continued, his calm voice passing over every student, most of them rather confused, including the members of Trickstar inside the classroom.

“Consider, everyone, what would happen if the killer was _not_ found. The killer would leave, and all the rest of us would be put to death—correct?”

A few nods from the crowd.

“Yet consider _why the killer has killed in the first place_. It is no doubt because of the ‘scandal’ delivered to each of us regarding someone we are close to, is it not?”

Murmurs swept through the students as some of them realized what Rei was alluding to, while others were still staring in confusion. Rei continued speaking.

“The killer has killed in order to save another important person in this group. However, if the killer is not caught, this person will die, along with the rest of us, rendering the crime useless. This is surely not the killer’s intention. Therefore, any rationally thinking killer should have prepared beforehand to be caught, and to die…Is this true for any of us? Is anyone ready to sacrifice themselves?”

The dark-haired vampire fixated the crowd with an accusing stare, coaxing the killer to show himself, challenging all that were present. But he was met with an uneasy silence. Despite some shuffled feet and nervous fidgeting, no one said a word.

“Curious.” Rei murmured. “Incredibly curious…”

After waiting a few more moments, he waved his hand. “There is still plenty of time, so consider carefully, whoever you may be, and you may still confess during the trial. That is all I have to say for now.”

He backed to one side as the students began leaving, whispering among themselves. Koga grabbed Rei’s sleeve angrily. “What do you think you were doing? Don’t you think that accusing them like that just made them less likely to confess, you vampire bastard?!”

“I was just trying to confirm something,” Rei replied. “The confession is less important. The fact that _no one will confess_ is more to my interest.” He tapped his chin. “I believe this case might be more complex than we thought.”

Koga didn’t look too happy, but let the matter slide. When most of the people had cleared from the area and Rei was about to beckon him to leave as well, the second year suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.

“Hey, vampire bastard. Do you smell that?”

“…? What is it?”

“Blood.”

Rei looked perplexed for a moment. “I’m sure it’s simply the blood from the corpse.”

“No,” Koga responded, frowning. “They already closed the classroom door, but there’s still a strange whiff of blood out here in the hallway. The nose of mine never lies.”

“If that’s so, then…” Rei looked around, and then bent down acutely to check the floor beneath them. He squinted, and then got down on all fours, scrutinizing at the tiles more closely.

“What the fuck are you doing?!”

“Hush, doggie.” Rei inched closer to the classroom door until he saw something. There had been so many people here before that it was impossible to see, but he saw now.

“There are traces of blood on the ground.”

“ _Really?_ ” Koga yelled, bending down to look with him. Indeed, whatever was there had been wiped, and was mostly removed from the glazed tile floor. However, caught in the cracks were just a few smears of red liquid, not yet completely dry, rather close to the classroom door. Rei knew from the instincts of a vampire that this was blood.

He stood back up slowly, rubbing his waist. He was certainly too old to be doing things like this now, he thought. But if the young had such misfortune as to die before him…He supposed he would have to carry on.

“Killed in a locked room, and yet there is blood in the hallway. Moreover, the blood has been wiped…Like someone doesn’t want us to find it.” Rei mused, narrowing his eyes. “This is getting more and more interesting as we speak…”

 

\--

 

After the crowd split up, Mika and Shu found themselves walking around the outside of the western school building. Mika didn’t have a particular destination in mind, and he figured his mentor didn’t, either. This time, he had kept Shu to the back of the crowd and checked on the body himself, and he was glad he did. There was no knowing if his mentor could take it if he laid eyes upon that gruesome scene.

“At least Valkyrie is safe now,” he murmured, not sure if Shu was listening.

“Hmph.” Evidently, he was. “I must say, I am also glad that Nito is safe. However…I wonder if the cost may have been too high. The entertainment world has lost a great talent eternally. I am not personally acquainted with that Akehoshi, but I have seen some of his live shows, and they were all praise-worthy pieces of work. It is a pity that such a promising idol has left us.”

“But, at least it wasn’ anyone we knew. I’d be really sad if Naru-chan or Nakkun or Tsumu-chan-senpai died…”

“You should pay some attention to good art outside your circle sometime as well,” Shu scolded. “There would always be a time in the future when—”

“Hey, what’s that?”

Mika ran forward, spotting something peculiar up ahead. Something was snagged in the bushes right next to the school building, as if it had been carelessly tossed there.

“Kagehira! Stop running off like an idiot!” Shu hurried to catch up, but stopped when he saw Mika’s expression.

“This is…”

Mika was trembling just a little as he looked. “’s the murder weapon, Oshi-san. We found it.”

A long-handled medieval sword, about a meter long, was nestled within the bushes. Next to it, there was a large piece of navy blue cloth draped over the foliage, or at least Mika guessed that was its original color, because it was now drenched nearly completely in dark red blood. The same red liquid covered the edge of the sword and spilled atop the green leaves, making for a horrible sight. What’s more, when he looked up, he could tell that they were dropped right beneath the window of classroom 2-A.

“Ugh! _Mon dieu!_ ”

“Ah—Oshi-san, are ya okay?” Mika asked frantically, noticing his mentor, who was holding a hand to his face and looking away. “It caught me by surprise, too, ‘m sorry…”

“It is alright. I will manage,” Shu responded. “But these weapons…a _sword?_ And a _cape?_ How did these items make it into Yumenosaki Academy?”

So the large cloth was a cape, Mika realized. And then he was more certain than ever where the things had come from. He shuddered as he remembered.

_“Can I trust you to keep this secret, then, even to your Oshi-san?”_

_“Mika-chan, do you remember the ‘Unit Practice Rooms’?...”_

“These weapons…They’re from the…”

“What? You know of them?”

Mika shook his head wildly. “No—I don’t—’s not me—It’s Naru-…No…No…Not Naru-chan…Don’ let it be Naru-chan!”

He backed off, one step at a time, too scared to acknowledge the notion that had just sprung into his mind, so scared that almost unconsciously, he started running.

“ _Kagehira!_ Where are you going?”

Mika didn’t know where he was going, either. All he knew is he needed to get away, as far away as he could before his fears could catch up with him.

 

\--

 

When Tsumugi arrived at the entrance to the broadcasting room, he was surprised to find that Rei and Nazuna were both inside already. Both turned when they heard his footsteps, and Rei gave him a knowing smile.

“It seems we have come to a similar conclusion, Aoba-kun,” he said. “This room, while it may not seem directly connected to the murder, may be an important place to investigate.”

“That’s right, I heard Shinobu-kun was previously in here and…I just wanted to check it out,” Tsumugi said hurriedly.

“Of course, but I’m not sure what you might find…” Nazuna hesitated. “I feel like something happened here, but it’s confusing. We heard Shinobun scream, and then moments later this room was empty. When we came back here, nothing was out of place, other than the shuriken…”

“Seemingly typical places can oftentimes conceal key clues,” Rei said. “I’d first like to ask you: how has the monitoring been going? Have you spotted anything suspicious?”

Nazuna shook his head. “Nothing so far. I tried to check if there were records from before the murder, but since the power was cut suddenly, nothing was saved, and we lost everything from 5:00 PM onwards. Based on what we’ve seen previously, though, no one’s shown any suspicious activity—the knives in the kitchen were untouched, and there’s no evidence of any other weapons being taken.”

As he spoke, Tsumugi was looking curiously around the room, until his eyes landed on something on the table in the corner. “Um, is that…”

“That?” Nazuna followed his gaze. “Oh, the book!”

“The book?” Rei questioned.

“That’s right! I recognize it, it’s from the library!” Tsumugi jumped in. “I wonder what it’s doing here…It’s the largest encyclopedia we have in stock, even I don’t have enough time to read it.”

“It was here when we came in following the scream,” Nazuna explained. “It wasn’t here before—I thought maybe Mako-chin or Shinobun had brought it in to read or something.”

“Hmm…” Rei walked over and picked up the book. It was a heavy tone, hardcover, easily over a thousand pages long, so much that he had to use two hands to hold it properly. He thought for a moment, then flipped it over and studied the back cover.

“It appears to have been dented,” he said.

“Dented?” Tsumugi asked.

“The back cover is slightly deformed in its center. Most likely because it has struck something with considerable force.”

“What does that mean…?” Nazuna wondered.

Rei didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Tsumugi. “Aoba-kun. Could you possibly give me a list of every student that has visited the library in the past two days?”

“Umm…Yeah, I think I could do that!” Tsumugi said brightly. “It’s true that I’ve spent most of my time in the library these days. If it’ll be of help to you, then I’ll try my best to remember!”

“Thank you,” Rei nodded. “As I expected, there are some curious things that have been going on here…But I believe we should be able to uncover the truth. I must warn you, though, that the truth may be an ugly one. This case strikes me as peculiar, and we may be forced to accept some things that we would rather not believe.”

“If that’s so, let’s just hope good fortune is on our side, yeah?” Tsumugi smiled. “I believe that good luck will come around once you’ve suffered bad luck for a while…The rainbow will always come after the storm.”

“Perhaps,” Rei mused. “Since it has been stormy for quite a while now…”

 

\--

 

“It certainly gets a bit chilly outside at night,” Eichi commented as he wrapped his arms around himself. “I had thought this was a tropical island, but the weather reminds me more of Japan during the spring.”

“It really is a mystery where we are, isn’t it?” Keito pushed up his glasses. “Be careful about your health, Eichi. You haven’t looked so good for the past couple of days.”

“I’ll be fine,” Eichi insisted. “I’m hardly exerting myself—since most of the students now flat-out avoid me, I have really nothing to do. I’m glad that at least you still offer me your company, Keito. Are you not mad that I framed you in the first murder?”

“There are plenty of things about you to be mad at,” Keito sighed. “But since I have sworn loyalty to you as your right-hand man, getting mad is not one of my options.”

“Well, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside,” Eichi chuckled. “With all the ruckus this time including scandals and whatnot, I thought more than a dozen students were giving me death stares. If you weren’t with me the whole time, I probably would have been assassinated already…or something.” He smiled breezily. “Like the poor Akehoshi-kun.”

“Don’t make fun of someone’s death,” Keito reproached him. “Are you just as low as that Kirakuma? How incorrigible.”

“But why not? Death is something that will claim all of us eventually,” Eichi said. “Even if he’s a genius like Akehoshi-kun…To be truthful, I will miss him. We had plenty of good fights with each other; my spirit will be bored without him.”

“…We’re here.” Keito made no effort to answer, instead announcing their arrival at the archery hall, where they had spent most of their time for the past few days. “Go in and get yourself warm, and I’ll try to bring you some tea for the time being.”

Eichi nodded and walked inside, before realizing that someone had arrived ahead of them. The someone in question seemed to be fumbling around in the cabinets in the corner, where the members of the archery club could store their belongings.

“Sena-kun? Is that you?”

The person turned sharply and faced Eichi, relaxing after he saw who it was. “Yeah, it’s me, Tenshouin. What are you doing here?”

“Should the question not be what are _you_ doing here?” Keito asked, coming in behind Eichi.

“Returning something of Ou-sama’s,” Izumi explained. “I’ll be going, so don’t yell at me.”

“No, no, don’t worry,” Keito shook his head. “The archery hall is extraterritorial and open to anyone, after all. If you like, you could stay for a cup of tea.”

“No thanks,” Izumi huffed. “I can’t tell if you’re being nice or if this is another plot of Tenshouin’s. I wonder, have you gone in for another kill this time?”

“If I were you, I might wonder myself.” Eichi smiled jovially. “You know, when Sakuma-kun was talking about the fact that no one was confessing…There were a few things he hadn’t realized.”

“Eichi,” Keito warned.

“What are you talking about?” Izumi glared.

“In some cases, the contradiction won’t necessarily apply. For example, when the report I have received is a scandal about _myself_ …You see?”

Eichi’s tone was carefree, as if they were solving a simple crossword puzzle. Izumi stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, indeed it is.”

“…What are you trying to do, confess to your crime?”

“Nothing of the sort.” Eichi shrugged. “I assure you that I don’t have anything to do with this case whatsoever, whether or not you believe me. After all, what’s the use of the Tenshouin Conglomerate if it can’t wipe away a bit of bad information?” He smiled. “I was just trying to point out something for you to consider. And to engage you in some light conversation, since I’m bored.”

“Stuff your light conversation. Any conversation with you instantly becomes heavy,” Izumi scoffed. “I’ll be leaving now, since unlike you, I’m properly investigating this case.”

“Suit yourself,” Eichi replied. “I’ll just enjoy some tea by myself then. Speaking of which…Keito, the tea?”

“I’ll go prepare it,” Keito said curtly.

 

\--

 

“Shinobu-kun!” Someone yelled, bursting through the door. And then that same someone burst through the door again, his voice echoing. “Shinobu-kun!”

“Whoaaah?!” Shinobu lurched up in the infirmary bed, wondering if his brain had decided to malfunction at last and he was now hallucinating. But when his eyesight cleared he realized who they were—Hinata and Yuuta, looking at him with genuinely worried expressions.

“Yuuta-kun, Hinata-kun?” he gasped, trying to calm his breathing. “Y-You scared me, de gozaru…”

“Shinobu-kun, you idioooot!” Yuuta yelled, grabbing onto Shinobu and pulling him close. “Do you know how worried we were? We heard you were attacked and almost died…Are you really okay? Don’t do that again, alright?”

“Ahaha…” Shinobu laughed shyly. “Thank you, Yuuta-kun, for the concern…But could you please let go of me? I’m still a little dizzy, de gozaru…”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Yuuta hurriedly let go, and Shinobu pressed a hand to his head. His throat was alright by now, and he could breathe normally, but his head still hurt. It was a lot better than before, though, so he was pretty sure he could recover.

“So, ahem, Shinobu-kun…” Hinata cut in. “What exactly happened to you? Did you see who attacked you? Do you know?”

Shinobu shook his head miserably. “I’m sorry…A lot of other people came in and asked me, as well…But…I don’t remember anything, de gozaru! I just remember that I was sitting in the broadcasting room, a-and someone came in, I think, and I guess I got hit with something, but after that it’s all black, de gozaru. And then I woke up in a classroom before I was carried here…I really don’t know what happened…” He sniffed.

“You don’t remember who it was?” Hinata asked, disappointed.

“Don’t push him, Aniki. I think he’s in shock because of what happened to him. Questioning him like that would just make it worse,” Yuuta said.

“Ah, sorry.” Hinata pulled back. “But I’m…really glad you survived, Shinobu-kun. That’s a pretty amazing feat!”

“Yeah, you’ll always have a heroic story to tell from here on!” Yuuta grinned.

Shinobu smiled weakly. “Thank you, but…I wasn’t really heroic at all. I was completely defenseless, and I can’t even remember anything and help you guys with the trial…It was pure luck that I survived, de gozaru. I got beaten up and had to be protected by everyone…I can never become a hero like this, de gozaru…”

“No! Shinobu-kun, that’s not true!” Yuuta yelled, looking Shinobu in the eye. “Just by surviving, you’re already a hero in your own right, okay? You’re Ryusei Yellow, the symbol of hope, right? You’ve already brought hope to me and Aniki—it’s something no one else can do!”

Shinobu blinked. “I did?”

“You did,” Hinata nodded. “We probably haven’t told you, but Yuuta and I were fighting a few days ago. It was when the students split into teams, and we disagreed on that. We weren’t talking to each other for a while, and we mostly split up and did things individually.”

“But this time, after we heard what had happened to you, we were both so afraid,” Yuuta continued. “Not just because of you, but—because we saw each other in your place, Shinobu-kun. It really could have been either of us who got attacked. I think we realized just then how horrible it would be to have someone you love get taken away from you.”

“And we both came to meet you, even though we were moving separately,” Hinata said, looking down. “We ran into each other right outside the infirmary, and we were so glad both of us were alive…Rather, all three of us were alive.” He sniffled a bit. “I can’t really explain it, but…Just the fact that you survived gave us hope, Shinobu-kun.”

Shinobu looked relieved. His tiny body trembled as tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but they were tears of joy.

“Ah, Shinobu-kun, don’t cry! Did we upset you?” Yuuta asked frantically.

“No, no, I am happy, de gozaru…” Shinobu wiped at his tears while smiling.

“That’s a relief! If you’re happy, we’re happy!” Hinata declared. And they all hugged each other and laughed together, and Shinobu finally felt like he was alive again.

“Oh! Wait! I almost forgot!” Hinata said suddenly, breaking out of the group hug. “Sakuma-senpai told me to ask you a question!”

“A question…?” Shinobu tilted his head.

“Right. He told me to ask you… ‘Do you remember getting up and locking the door to classroom 2-A at any point?’”

“…But I told you already,” Shinobu said, “I don’t remember anything. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t possibly have the energy to lock the door, anyway…”

“Hmm, I guess that’s a no, then,” Hinata said. “Though I don’t know why, I’ll deliver that to Sakuma-senpai~!”

Yuuta looked deep in thought while the two were talking. “Aniki, Sakuma-senpai is right. This is a really important detail.”

“Huh? What’s important about it?”

“Think about it. They found the corpse in a locked room, which only Hidaka-senpai has the keys to, right? So, assuming Hidaka-senpai wasn’t the culprit, the door must have been locked from the inside. But Akehoshi-senpai was dead and couldn’t lock the door, and you were unconscious and couldn’t lock the door, either. So _how did the culprit lock the door from the inside and then manage to get out?_ ”

“Whoa, it’s like a mystery novel.” Hinata’s eyes widened. “But then—you’re not saying that Hidaka-senpai did it, are you?”

Yuuta shook his head fiercely. “I don’t want to believe that. Akehoshi-senpai was his best friend. It’d be like me killing you, Aniki.”

The twins fell silent for a moment, but the silence didn’t last long. For an announcement soon crackled through the loudspeakers, channeling Kirakuma’s dreaded voice to them once again.

_“Investigation time is over, you lot. Class Trial will start momentarily. All students, please gather at the entrance to the auditorium immediately. Failure to do so will result in death.”_

“I guess it’s time to go, then,” Yuuta sighed.

“Shinobu-kun, can you walk on your own? Do you need us to help you?” Hinata asked.

“I think I am alright, de gozaru…” Shinobu hesitantly got out of his bed and stood upright. When he took a step, though, he wobbled once, and Yuuta caught him before he could fall.

“Whoa there! I think we’d better lend a hand for now,” he said.

“It will be much appreciated, de gozaru…From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.”

The twins laughed, and moved to support Shinobu, one on either side of him. Together, the three first-years shuffled down the hallway, their paces slow but sure, making way in the direction of the auditorium. Shinobu gathered all the hope he had in his heart, for he knew they were headed towards another trial…another judgment…another death before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this case, the "no one will confess" question is a really big one and basically formed the backbone of the case as I planned it. If you can answer this question, you have the case figured out already. 
> 
> Unlike the last round, it'll be hard to figure out the whole truth with what you have here, but still give it a shot! Also note that I made use of a few obscure details in event stories and sub stories, so if you know your enstars really well, you might get a hint!
> 
> Until the trial, then!!


	12. 2.6 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "One coincidence may be called a coincidence; too many coincidences and it becomes a reality! Don’t you agree?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry for the long wait I'm back with the first part of the trial!!!
> 
> I probably made this case a lot more complex than it should be...So the trial is also long and complicated but I tried to explain things as clearly as possible. 
> 
> !!Spoilers for SS if you haven't read it!!

When Mao walked into the auditorium and saw the stage decorated in bright pinks and reds, complete with a bright blue backdrop and a few cherry blossom petals scattered around, he realized immediately that it was made to resemble the stage of Sakura Fes, which Trickstar had starred on around a year ago—it already felt so distant to him. He hadn’t thought much of the stage setup during Chiaki’s trial, but this time it hit him so hard he felt tears welling up. The pure and lovely Subaru would never have a chance to stand on such a stage again.

Kirakuma was seated in his usual spot, but this time instead of popcorn, he was munching on a big bag of potato chips. No one paid him any attention as they filed solemnly into their places, noting that the spots of Subaru and Tori had been replaced with their monochrome photos. Mao did a double take when he saw Subaru’s photo. His face was X’ed out in red, but the shape of the X looked more like a four-pointed star. It was strangely fitting for a boy with such an affinity for sparkles.

“Welcome, my brethren, to the second wondrous and fantastical Class Trial!” Kirakuma announced with a grin. “I presume that two days ago, you lot have all received my letter to each of you, and I am a bear that never goes back on his word, so—congratulations! A murder has occurred, and the news reports will remain sealed and guarded from publicity. Unless you’d like to circulate them yourself, if that’s to your liking. It might make the world a lot more interesting, wouldn’t it? Heh-heh-heh-heh.”

“Piss off, you stuffed animal,” Koga spat at him. “Bear’s paws are sounding like a delicacy to me right now.”

“Oh-ho-ho!” Kirakuma laughed, unperturbed. “Be sure to take that hatred and direct it towards the one in your midst who killed your poor friend, alright? This is quite exciting. Surprise me and astound me, you lot!” he said, rubbing his hands together.

The students faced each other atop the stage, their expressions grim. No one wanted to be the first to speak. The silence continued for a couple of minutes until Rei finally cleared his throat.

“I will ask again. Is there anyone who would like to confess at this time?”

Silence. Deafening silence enveloped the stage.

“…I take that as a no, then,” Rei said. “Well then, let’s start with any pieces of evidence—”

“Naru-chan,” someone suddenly yelled out, interrupting him. “You did it, didn’t ya?”

“Huh?” Surprised at this sudden accusation, all eyes in the room turned immediately to Arashi, and the person who had just spoken—Mika.

The dark-haired boy was trembling as he held onto the railing in front of him, tears already staining his face as he looked toward his best friend. “Don’ lie to me, Naru-chan…Did ya do it?”

The accused second-year looked positively bewildered, his hand fluttering up to his chest as he tried to sputter out an answer. “Wh-What—Mika-chan, why would you think I did it?”

“I…I found what you were talkin’ about…” Mika said in a whisper, in between scattered sniffles. “I don’ wanna suspect Naru-chan at all! But—But—the evidence was _there_!”

“Wait, wait, hold up,” Arashi stammered, holding up both hands. “Slow down, Mika-chan. Take a breath and then talk. What evidence did you find?”

Mika took a deep breath and wiped at his eyes. “The…The ‘Unit Practice Room’ that you talked about, Naru-chan. I found the murder weapon…an’ it was just like you described it…it was a sword for a knight…an’ it was tossed outside the window…” Tears ran down his face again.

The crowd erupted in murmurs and chatter. “What’s that he said?” “A _sword?_ ” “And the ‘Unit Practice Room?’”

Arashi paled. “No—Mika-chan—That’s not—Wait, did you _really?_ ”

“We did,” Shu affirmed, though he, too, looked slightly confused about the matter. “We came across a bloodied sword and cape tossed in the bushes outside the school building, directly below class 2-A. Since Kagehira ran off so hastily, _I_ took the liberty to take a photo.” He held out his ID card while throwing a sideways glare at Mika.

Indeed, though the picture was a bit blurry, Arashi could still make out what was depicted on it. Without doubt, it was the same type of sword and cape that he had seen earlier in the Knights Practice Room. His heart sank when he realized what that must have meant.

“Can you explain this, please, Narukami-kun?” In between all the shocked and confused clamor from the crowd, Eichi called out to him, his gentle smile suddenly a whole lot more threatening.

“Does this have something to do with the ‘Unit Practice Room?’” Kuro demanded.

“I can explain!” Arashi said frantically. “Err, that is…”

“Geez, Naru-kun…” Izumi cut him off, wearing his usual annoyed expression. “Didn’t we tell you to keep this secret? Now you go off and spill, and look where it’s gotten us.”

“Why, I hadn’t thought that anyone would think to actually _use_ them!” Arashi shot back. “This is a real shock to me as well—which one of _you_ did it?”

The crowd had fallen silent, looking between the two of them with wide-eyed surprise. Izumi sighed, letting out a faint _tch_.

“Well, the cat’s out of the bag now, so there’s no use hiding it anymore. We’ll explain for our poor loose-tongued friend here.” He scanned the circle coldly, making sure everyone was listening before continuing. “Yes, these things are from our ‘Unit Practice Room’, the one that Knights won from Kirakuma. Turns out that he gave us an _arsenal of weapons_. Other than the swords and capes, there were also shields, daggers, and suits of armor.”

A collective gasp of disbelief rose from the audience. “—An _arsenal?_ ”

“We wanted to keep them confidential, and refrain from using them except for self-defense,” Ritsu added, “But it looks like neither of those rules were followed…”

“No way!” Kaoru exclaimed, staring at the Knights members in disbelief. “ _That’s_ what was in the room? And you kept it from us? That’s just terrifying, and it’s not even funny!”

“It’s an unfair advantage! Like using a cheat code in a game and getting all the highest level gear free of charge!” Sora jumped in.

Izumi shrugged. “We were lucky,” he said. “If any of you won the lottery, you probably would’ve gotten something similar.”

“That’s crazy…” Nazuna shook his head in disbelief. “The mastermind of this game is a lot more savage than we thought…”

“Ha-hah!” Kirakuma chortled from his spot in the audience. “You’ve got that right, little rabbit!”

“Shut up,” Nazuna said.

“…Ahem,” Souma cleared his throat after an awkward pause. “So shall we assume that the culprit this time is a member of ‘Knights’?”

“It makes sense,” Yuzuru put in. “The sword is exactly the right size to have caused the wound that we saw. The killer most likely used the sword to kill Akehoshi-sama, and wrapped the cape around their body so as to avoid getting blood on themselves.”

“Despite this, I’d hesitate to jump to conclusions,” Rei warned. “Even if a Knights member acquired the weapon from the room, it may have been found and used by someone else. Furthermore, there may be other weapons involved. Members of Trickstar, did you find anything of the sort in the classroom?”

Mao shook his head. “We tried hard, but we couldn’t find anything that the killer appeared to have left behind…” He held up his ID card. “Here’s the photo we took. Nothing seems to be out of place at all.”

It was true. The classroom looked no different from how it usually was, apart from the bloody corpse on the ground, of course.

“Well then, it’s pretty clear that the sword was the weapon,” Koga concluded. “But who was the one that used it? Come on, ‘fess up already.”

“I…I think it’s Naru-chan…” Mika whimpered after a few moments of silence, lowering his head as his best friend looked at him in shock.

“But _why_?” Arashi protested. “Why me? It could have been anyone from Knights!”

“Ya didn’ confess,” Mika said slowly.

“ _So?_ ”

“Sakuma-senpai said that if yer tryin’ to save someone in this group, then you’d have to confess, because or else they’d die. Right?” Mika looked towards Rei anxiously.

The third-year nodded. “Correct.”

“But…” Mika choked back tears again. “Th’ person on your scandal is _Kunugi-sensei_ , Naru-chan. He’s not part of our group. _So ya didn’ have to confess…_ Am I right?”

Tsukasa gasped. “Is that true? Narukami-senpai, the scandal you received was about Kunugi-sensei?”

Arashi swallowed, realizing. “Yes…it was…”

“Well, there’s an answer to a pressing question,” Keito said matter-of-factly. “Narukami, do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“Y-Yes! Of course I do!” Arashi stated, more irritated now than alarmed. “Mika-chan, everyone else, too, _please_ don’t just assume things like that! Sure, that’s a possible explanation, but it’s not hard evidence, is it? In _fact_ , the whole time when Subaru-chan was killed, I was with Tsukasa-chan, looking for our Ou-sama! Why, isn’t that a proper alibi?”

He said all of that at once, not bothering to pause for a breath, and ended by looking fiercely towards Tsukasa. The first-year nodded quickly, getting the feeling that Arashi might come after him if he said anything different. “It’s true, Narukami-senpai and I were together the whole time. If I remember correctly, Akehoshi-senpai was killed at 9:15 PM, right? We had been together from before the blackout all the way to the body discovery announcement, so it’s not possible that Narukami-senpai did it.”

“There! Now you see?” Arashi huffed.

As he listened to all of this, Mika was wearing an expression of pure and utter relief. He choked back tears again as he straightened it all out in his head. “So…Naru-chan…It wasn’ you?”

“Of _course_ it wasn’t me, Mika-chan. Trust your big sister a little more, okay?”

“All right…’m so sorry, I shouldn’ have just guessed like that…We’re still friends, right?”

Mika looked at him hopefully and Arashi felt all his hostility melt away. Of course, Mika had nothing but the best intentions. The whole time, he was scared to death of Arashi being the culprit…but had still chosen to confront him honestly, despite how painful it was. Arashi felt a new twinge of respect for Mika. That boy was definitely smarter than he appeared.

Before he could answer, though, someone cleared his throat. Izumi was fixing the crowd with a cold stare, interrupting their conversation.

“While we’re on the topic of not confessing, there’s another person that we should probably suspect right now. Tenshouin…you said that your scandal was about _yourself_ , correct?”

“I saw that coming,” Eichi chuckled as all eyes turned to him. “And yes, I did say that.”

“What—does that mean it was him _again?_ ” Hinata shouted, before realizing how rude he was being to his senior. He clasped his hands over his mouth. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I don’t want to take up our precious time for this trial, so I will keep this brief,” Eichi said. “Just like Narukami-kun, I have an alibi. For the entirety of tonight, I was with Keito, and we hadn’t even been in the main school building. Keito will testify to this, yes?”

“Eichi is right,” Keito said. “He had no chance to commit this crime.”

Eichi nodded. “Of course, if you’re picky on the details, you could argue that Keito is lying for my sake…although I think that would be a rather stupid thing to do.”

Hokuto crossed his arms and gave a brusque nod toward Eichi. “It’s fine, we’ll accept your explanation. Just to be sure, is there anyone else who received a scandal about themselves, or someone outside of this group?”

No one said a word. It was to be expected, Hokuto thought. Hardly anyone would voluntarily give up a piece of information that might put them under suspicion; he knew it was a lost cause from the moment he opened his mouth to ask. It annoyed him—of course Eichi would be the one to give them a hint that had no practical use whatsoever—but he decided to put it aside.

“With that out of the way, I believe we can start again with the basic facts,” Rei addressed the circle seriously. “I think it’s important that before we discuss, everyone knows exactly what happened tonight, especially those who were not present. I’ve already asked Nito-kun and Yuuki-kun about what they saw, as they appeared to be at the heart of things, and I think they should pass on this information to all of you.”

“Right,” Nazuna nodded, and he proceeded to quickly relay everything that he had seen, starting from Shinobu’s scream and the blackout, to eventually discovering the corpse in class 2-A. Makoto and Shinobu filled in for him on occasion with their own parts of the story. By the end of their explanation, everything seemed just as confusing as it was at the beginning.

“…Umm,” Midori timidly raised his hand after Nazuna finished talking. “I just have one question…Why did the blackout happen? I was scared to death when the lights turned off suddenly…Is it going to happen again?”

“Well, there are several reasons a blackout might happen,” Makoto said. “Since everything worked fine after we flipped the switch back on, it’s not anything to do with damaged equipment or transmission cables. It’s probably not an electrical overload, either, because that would require a huge amount of electricity use, and we didn’t see any sign of that. That means the most likely scenario is someone flipped the switch off on purpose.”

“On purpose! Then it’s part of the murder plot?” Tomoya exclaimed.

“Indeed,” Rei nodded. “I think there’s an obvious reason this time as to why someone would want to cause a power outage.”

“You mean…” Nazuna gritted his teeth. “The surveillance system.”

“Correct. The outage was a measure of counterattack against Nito-kun’s surveillance system,” Rei continued. “This way, any actions the killer may take would remain undiscovered and would not be intercepted. In other words, a precaution against our Shinobu-kun sitting in the broadcasting room watching over you all.”

“B-But, they didn’t have to do that at all, because I was attacked immediately, de gozaru…” Shinobu whimpered. “Why would they turn off the lights if I was unconscious anyway?”

“Which brings me to my next point,” Rei nodded. “I believe that this time…There is more than one culprit.”

“Huh?” Makoto blinked in surprise. “You mean…an accomplice? Like last time?”

“No,” Rei said calmly. “This time we have two _independent_ killers to deal with. One that went after poor Shinobu-kun…And another who targeted our Akehoshi-kun.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” Yuuta gasped at what the third-year said. “Two people went after them at the same time? But how did they end up in the same place?”

“Hush,” Rei put up his hands to calm the crowd, which was just about bursting with questions at this point. “That is a good question, Aoi-kun, one that I sadly don’t have an answer to. But it is clear when you look at it. First of all, the method of killing. Akehoshi-kun was killed with the sword, but Shinobu-kun was knocked unconscious, and then strangled. It’s clear from the way he was treated that _the killer had no weapon on hand_ , or else why would he choose such a clumsy way to kill?”

“Furthermore, Akehoshi-kun’s death was carefully planned out. There is no doubt that the blackout was linked to Akehoshi-kun’s killer, as no one could have flipped the switch and attacked Shinobu-kun at the same time. Therefore the power outage was prepared, as well as the weapons and how to use them, and how to conceal the weapons beforehand so they wouldn’t be noticed over the cameras. Notice also that Akehoshi-kun was killed cleanly and steadily, with one direct strike, showing mental preparedness on the part of the killer. Compare this to the attack on Shinobu-kun…the culprit clearly had no practice and was not mentally prepared. The fact that _he is still alive_ is the greatest proof of the attacker’s blunder. The two images—a carefully thought out crime and a sudden, clumsy attack—are of two very distinct killers.”

Mao rubbed his head as he tried to take all of that in. “Now that you’ve pointed it out, it _does_ seem pretty obvious.”

“Well, that makes our work a lot easier!” Hinata declared. “We just gotta find the one killer who killed Akehoshi-senpai, and that’s it!”

“Actually, quite the contrary,” Rei countered. “I was thinking that we should begin by considering who may have attacked Shinobu-kun.”

“Huh? But why would—”

“Precisely because the culprit was not prepared, he has left a number of clues for us,” Rei cut him off. “There is no need to rush; as long as we proceed step by step, things are bound to become clearer.”

“So let’s hear it, Rei-san,” said Madara, leaning into the circle with interest. “What are the ‘clues’ that you’re talking about?”

“First of all,” Rei turned, addressing Shinobu. “Shinobu-kun, you were struck unconscious by the attacker, yes?”

Shinobu was shaking a little. “Er…My memory is fuzzy, so I can’t say for sure, but I think I was hit on the head…because my head still hurts terribly, de gozaru.”

“But how in hell was he knocked out?” Koga questioned. “There weren’t any baseball bats or clubs lying around. And if you tried to do it with your bare hands, you’d probably break a few bones in there.”

“I was just getting to that,” Rei said with a slight smile. “There’s something that can explain all of this. Aoba-kun, the photo, please.”

“Yes!” Tsumugi exclaimed, whisking out his ID card and flipping through it. “I took a photo of the book, as you told me to…”

He held up his screen, which displayed a photo of an ordinary-looking encyclopedia. A few students squinted at it, but it didn’t seem special in any way.

“It is a very heavy volume, found in the broadcasting room,” Rei explained. “And furthermore, if you look closely, you will find that its back cover has been slightly dented. There is reason to believe that _this_ is the weapon used to knock Shinobu-kun unconscious.”

“What—is that possible?” Hajime gasped. “A book can’t be a weapon, can it?”

“To knock someone out, all one needs is a heavy obJECT,” Natsume said calmly. “A book can easily serve that purPOSE. Moreover, it does not seem like a weapon, SO…”

“Ah, I see,” said Tsukasa. “If the culprit had brought anything else, it would have been suspicious, and the Broadcasting Committee member would have pulled the emergency alarm. In order to go unnoticed, they chose an everyday object.”

“InDEED,” Natsume smiled. “Books can be dangerous THINGS…Though I never expected that to be true in the literal sense as WELL ♪”

“So, Shinobu-kun,” Rei turned and faced the trembling first-year. “Let’s assume that the book was used to strike you on the head. But another question vexes me. Since the book was left in the broadcasting room, there’s no doubt you were knocked out there. But…how did an _unconscious_ Shinobu-kun exit the room before Nito-kun and Yuuki-kun could check inside, and move all the way to classroom 2-A, leaving a trail of shurikens behind?”

The room fell silent. No one had any answers.

“If he’s unconscious, he can’t dash away, yanno~!” Mitsuru said. “But then how did he get out?”

“He didn’t go through any secret passageways, either, because the shuriken trail shows that he went down the stairs,” Tsumugi added.

“Down the stairs…The same way as the person we heard running away from us,” Nazuna realized. “But…that person wasn’t Shinobun. He didn’t respond when I called Shinobun’s name, and I’m pretty sure he had orange hair, or a similar light color…”

“That sounds to me like it’d be the culprit,” Kuro said thoughtfully. “He was probably trying to get away after he heard you and Yuuki coming over.”

“Right, but then what happened to Shinobun?” Nazuna fused his brows together in perplexity.

“Hmm…” After a few moments of silence, Souma suddenly looked toward Shinobu and spoke. “Sengoku, could you come over for a moment?”

“H-Huh? Come over?”

“Yes. We are allowed to leave our spots for a short time, are we not?”

Kirakuma shrugged from his place in the audience. “’s fine by me, but don’t go and try any monkey business.”

“Okay.” Shinobu stepped shakily from his platform and moved around the circle to where Souma was standing. “But what are you going to do, Kanzaki-dono— _whoa?!_ ”

Without speaking, Souma had reached out an arm and hoisted Shinobu’s small body into the air, carrying him off the ground for a few moments before carefully setting him back down again. Shinobu stumbled as his feet touched the ground, and Souma offered him a hand to grab on to as he steadied himself.

“It is like I thought, Sengoku,” he said. “You are extremely light. The culprit would have easily been able to carry you.”

“C-Carry me?” Shinobu gaped at him, his heart still racing from the shock.

“Yes. As long as they’ve received a basic level of athletic training, anyone can carry you for the short distance from the broadcasting room to classroom 2-A,” Souma affirmed.

“Kanzaki has made a good point,” Adonis nodded from his spot next to them. “Sengoku, you are small and weak. You should eat meat, so that you can grow strong and this does not happen to you again.”

“Wait, so—the whole time when the culprit was running away from us, he was carrying Shinobu-kun in his arms?” Makoto yelled, positively shocked.

Rei nodded. “It is likely. What do you think, Nito-kun? Did you see anything that might prove otherwise?”

Nazuna contemplated for a moment. “No…What you said might be right. The hallway was dark and neither of us could see clearly. He could have been carrying Shinobun.”

Shinobu was still a bit shaken as he returned to his designated spot in the circle. “But why would someone want to carry me, de gozaru?”

“To finish the ‘job’…” A murmur sounded from somewhere near Rei, and he turned to see who had spoken. It was Kanata, holding his head down in a brooding silence.

“Shinkai-kun? Did you say something?” he questioned.

Kanata sneaked a glance at him, looking a bit troubled, as if he wasn’t sure if he should be saying this. “…Shinobu. You were not ‘dead’ after being hit with the ‘book’,” he said finally.

“Yes, so?” Shinobu asked, tense with worry.

“To finish the ‘job’, the ‘attacker’ wanted to ‘strangle’ you to death. But ‘strangling’ is not done quickly. The ‘attacker’ needs time…”

Rei narrowed his eyes. “You mean…”

“…And at that time, Makoto and Nazuna had heard your ‘scream’ and were rushing to help you. The ‘attacker’ had to run away from the ‘heroes’ and move you to a new ‘location’, so he could finish his ‘business’.”

Shinobu felt a cold shiver down his spine. Kanata’s emotionless tone and blank expression were unnerving, as if he had been there and was merely reciting what he had seen.

“…And that’s all.” The blue-haired boy straightened up and raised his lips into a smile just like usual. “Bubble, bubble.”

“Alright,” said Nazuna, trying his best to shake off the chilling sense that he had gotten and return to the discussion. “That sounds possible. Now the question is who did it?”

“For that, I’ve already made enquiries,” Rei replied. “Aoba-kun, have you come up with the people who visited the library? Since he had to take the encyclopedia, the culprit must be within them.”

“Right, yes, I have.” Tsumugi hurriedly pulled out a notebook and flipped to a page where he had written some notes. “I tried my best to remember who went to the library in these two days—my memory is good enough, but there are times when I left to eat lunch or something, so it’s still possible I missed someone…Ahem.”

And he read out the names. “Shino Hajime. Sakuma Rei. Suou Tsukasa. Sena Izumi. Akehoshi Subaru. Tenshouin Eichi. Hasumi Keito. And myself, of course.”

Everyone pondered for a few moments, letting the names sink into their heads.

“Well, it’s definitely not Tsukasa-chan,” Arashi spoke first, “since we were together. He has an alibi just like I do.”

“Right.” Tsumugi nodded, crossing Tsukasa’s name off his list.

“Seems a bit strange that Hasumi-kun and Tenshouin-kun were both there,” Kaoru commented, “But they have an alibi together too, so I guess it can’t be them.”

“Thank you, Hakaze-kun, for pointing that out,” Eichi smiled graciously.

Tsumugi crossed out both names from his list, and once again the crowd fell silent.

“Umm, let’s go through these one by one, then.” Tomoya spoke up. “The first is Hajime…Do you have an alibi?” he said, looking towards his friend.

The pale first-year looked flustered as he shook his head. “I…I don’t…I was in the kitchen, making a late-night cup of tea, and no one was there with me…”

“That’s not good,” Tomoya frowned. “But I know you wouldn’t possibly do something like this, Hajime…You’re the type that really couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“There’s another reason we shouldn’t suspect you, Hajime-kun,” Eichi put in. “You are not part of any sports club. You are also not tall, and lightly built. So I doubt that you would be able to carry your fellow first year, Shinobu-kun, the entire way to the classroom.”

Hajime frantically dipped his head down in gratitude. “Thank you for coming to my defense…It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but it’s true, I’m not very athletically inclined, it’s something I’m trying to work on…”

“Eat meat, and grow stronger,” Adonis stated.

“…Okay,” Tsumugi said as he crossed Hajime’s name off the list. “What about Rei-kun?”

Rei chuckled. “Myself, indeed…I do not have an alibi, as I was resting alone in my dorm. But surely this batch of old bones wouldn’t do me much good in carrying Shinobu-kun around.”

“Not a valid argument, Anija,” said Ritsu, giving his brother a taunting look. “Don’t hide your physical capabilities behind that weak appearance.”

“Ahh…shot down by my precious Ritsu…” Rei clutched his heart like it was bleeding.

“I don’t think it’s Rei-chin,” Nazuna said thoughtfully. “The person that we saw wasn’t quite that tall, I think…And his hair couldn’t have been a dark shade like that. I think the same goes for you, too, Tsumugi-chin. Neither of you match the description very well.”

“Good! Good fortune for us,” Tsumugi smiled, crossing off two more names. “Izumi-kun?”

“It wasn’t me,” Izumi said bluntly.

“You are going to need a much better argument than that to convince us,” Shu snapped at him.

“It wasn’t him,” Nazuna affirmed. “When I was running towards the electrical room, I ran into Izumi-chin. He was on the other side of the school—so he couldn’t have been with Shinobun in classroom 2-A.”

Tsumugi nodded brightly and crossed Izumi’s name off as well.

“So that leaves—”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Mao cut in. “That means the only person we have left is…Subaru.”

“But Akehoshi-senpai was a victim!” Hajime cried. “He couldn’t have done it, either. We must have missed something, right?”

“Look for other explanations,” Hokuto said. “Maybe the book was taken out even earlier, before the motive was given to us?”

Tsumugi shook his head. “I’m _sure_ it was there just a few days ago…Besides, it’s a big, boring encyclopedia. No one borrows it for no reason.”

“Someone slipped in while Aoba-senpai was at lunch, then,” Makoto suggested.

“But when Aoba is at lunch, everyone is at lunch,” Keito pointed out.

The entire circle fell into puzzlement again until one person clapped his hands and spoke in a loud, sure voice. “I believe the answer is simple. Subaru-san _was_ the person who attacked Shinobu-san!”

The speaker was Madara, smiling confidently, apparently oblivious of the shocked expressions that his statement managed to conjure up within the crowd. He looked around, saw that no one was speaking, and took that as a signal to continue.

“It makes a great amount of sense when you look at it! Subaru-san was within the people who visited the library in these two days, so he was able to acquire the encyclopedia. He also has orange hair exactly like what you described, Nazuna-san, and is in the basketball club, so he has enough strength to carry Shinobu-san. Most importantly, he ended up in classroom 2-A with Shinobu-san, which matches our guess of what happened exactly! One coincidence may be called a coincidence; too many coincidences and it becomes a reality! Don’t you agree?”

“But—But—that’s impossible,” Hokuto sputtered. “That idiot Akehoshi would never set out to kill anyone!”

“You can never say something like that for sure.” Madara waved a finger. “People have hidden sides to them that they do not show you. And people can very easily change at the slightest provocation. Would you say so? Has your Subaru-san been acting strangely at all lately?”

“Akehoshi…” Hokuto closed his eyes, forcibly pushing his memories of the past few days away from him, but he still realized. Deep down, he realized. “No… _No_ …”

“It can’t be—it’s absurd,” Makoto argued. “Besides, how could a killer end up being killed?”

“Oh, there are plenty of ways a killer can get themselves killed. The world operates in mysterious ways, after all!” The third-year laughed. “What you need to do is believe in reality. As my good friend Rei-san has said…the truth can be an ugly one. But the truth is the truth!”

“No! I won’t accept it!” Hokuto yelled. He was crying now, despite his best efforts to hold back his tears. “How could he—how could _he_ , of all people—do something like that?”

“Calm down, Hokuto,” Mao consoled him. “There’s got to be a different explanation. What if—”

“Hokkee-KUN.” A voice rang out steadily from the circle. “I wonder if you have seen Baru-kun’s scanDAL?”

Natsume’s golden eyes glinted slightly as he looked towards Trickstar’s leader.

“His…scandal?”

“Yes. The one that he never allowed you to SEE…” A mischievous smirk tugged at Natsume’s lips. “You don’t know what it was abOUT, do YOU?”

Hokuto shook his head wordlessly. “What…”

“You’re talking like you’ve seen it already,” Mao interjected coolly.

“Oh, but I HAVE,” Natsume grinned. “In fact, I have it right here with ME…”

And he reached into his uniform pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, much to the shock of the Trickstar members.

“N-No way! How did you get that?” Makoto yelled.

“You went into his _room_?” Hokuto demanded.

“No,” Natsume said. “Baru-kun had stashed this in his desk in classroom 2-A, so you wouldn’t be able to find it, Hokkee-KUN. I simply snatched it out when the three of you weren’t lookING.”

“What’s the meaning of this, Sakasaki?” Mao asked, clearly trying his hardest to keep calm.

“Oh, see for yourSELVES,” Natsume answered nonchalantly. He passed the paper over to Hokuto, who grabbed it tightly and unfolded it with trembling hands.

The headline alone gave him a stab in the gut. That’s because his name was on it.

_HIDAKA HOKUTO—THE WORST CRIMINAL IN IDOL HISTORY!?_

He read on, his whole body trembling, his mind already so shaken with shock that he couldn’t trust what he was reading. The article described him as a terrible criminal, guilty of many heinous crimes, but as he read, he realized what it was really saying.

Illegal donation and bribery.

Physical abuse toward colleagues.

And finally—an allegation that he had _murdered one of his own fans_.

Indeed, these were the crimes that the once-rising star had been accused of…The late Akehoshi…Subaru’s father.

 _—“You don’t want_ anyone _to become like your father, do you?”_

Hokuto remembered. When the scandals of Subaru’s father were played across the SS stage, how utterly crushed his friend had been. Even then, he had been willing to give himself up—to let go of Trickstar and live his own life as a criminal’s son.

But he couldn’t let that happen to Hokuto.

Even if it meant falling to the bottom of the pit himself…Even if it meant he would never see the light of the stage again…Even if he was to become a criminal like his father, he would protect Hokuto from the darkness that once enveloped him. The cold, lonely darkness that he thought no one would ever deserve.

Tears were blurring his vision now—or maybe it was his hands that were shaking too much—so much that he couldn’t read on anymore. Somehow, his knees gave way, and he heard distant, muffled shouts of concern as he crumpled to the ground and the world faded to black.

The last thing that remained in his vision was Subaru’s monochrome photo, ripped apart by a blood-red star, winking down at him.

 

\--CLASS TRIAL: SUSPENDED--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries in a corner* that was the hardest thing I've ever written...
> 
> buuuuut as you can see this is only half the entire case! So have fun (with the information you now have) figuring out who killed Subaru! :'D
> 
> I'll try to get the next update up a little faster this time. Until then!


	13. 2.7 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been easy to think of “killing someone”—just a vague “someone”, with no face, no identity—but when there was a real, living person instead of that “someone”, the task suddenly seemed impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi and thank you for your patience regarding my updates ;_; This chapter is REALLY REALLY LONG as in over 10,000 words, so set out a good chunk of time to read it haha. I would have cut it somewhere but there wasn't anywhere really suitable, so, here you go.
> 
> As usual I tried to explain everything as clearly as possible but do ask if there's anything confusing! With that said, enjoy the last chapter of this round!

_\--The Untold Side of the Story--_  

“It’s getting late,” Mao said, taking a long sip from his sports drink. He was sweating, but he looked refreshed at the same time. “We should probably pack up and go.”

“Roger! That was fun~” Subaru breathed out, feeling like the past hours had been mere minutes. He didn’t want it to end. If he could, he’d rather stay and sing and dance forever, until his breath ran out and his legs couldn’t hold up and the room was dancing around and around in his place. But dreams have to end at some point. Even the brightest shining star eventually collapses and dies, fading into a cold white dwarf lost in the vast darkness of the universe.

“It’ll be nice if all four of us could be here next time,” Mao commented, before extending a hand to Subaru. “Come on, let’s go back to the dorms together.”

Subaru shook his head. “You can go on ahead of me, Sari~! I have a few things I have to take care of before going.”

“Really? I can wait for you, if you like.”

“No, no! I’ll be done real quick! Don’t feel like you have to help others all the time~ Go back and get some good rest, and we’ll sing again tomorrow!” Subaru smiled brightly.

“Hmm…I guess, if you say so,” Mao laughed. He turned towards the door. “I’ll see you at breakfast then?”

“Yeah! See you~!”

Subaru watched as his friend turned and exited the room. He suddenly felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs and he couldn’t breathe. It was as if the gentle closing of the door was a signal of the end of everything.

It would be the end. Because he would give himself up on the trial and leave the rest to his dear friends. If only they could continue shining brightly, then he didn’t really mind disappearing.

He thought, as he steeled himself and took his weapon out of his bag. It was the encyclopedia that he had rushed to get that morning, pretending to ignore the fact that he, Akehoshi Subaru, rarely portrayed the image of a lover of books. The encyclopedia had been in his bag and had been gnawing away at his conscience ever since. It was a good thing. He had worried and feared and questioned so many times already that he was numb to it—the only thing on his mind now was that he had to get it over with. There was no time left.

He had stepped into the hallway already before realizing the question: who should it be?

It was a dreaded question. He loved everyone in the academy and had shared two whole years of school life with most of them. How could he do this to one of his fellow students? It had been easy to think of “killing someone”—just a vague “someone”, with no face, no identity—but when there was a real, living person instead of that “someone”, the task suddenly seemed impossible.

Subaru gripped the book tightly and tried to think. It had to be someone smaller than him—preferably a first-year, definitely not a third-year, since he wasn’t sure he could triumph in strength to them with just an encyclopedia in hand. They also had to be alone—plenty of people were sticking together lately, and that was a problem because he couldn’t possibly take on two people at once. Subaru rubbed his head. Maybe he should just give up, he thought before a small voice whispered to him from the back of his brain.

Of course. There was someone bound to be alone at this time.

Sitting in the broadcasting room, looking over all of them…

Makoto had told him who it would be, and he vaguely remembered—a first-year from Ryuseitai, small and somewhat shy, the youngest member of the Broadcasting Committee. He didn’t know him well, which might prove to be a good thing. He would do, Subaru thought.

—“He would do”? How terrible a sort of thought was that?

The orange-haired idol gritted his teeth and turned toward the stairs leading to the third floor. “I’m sorry,” he muttered as he ran. “I’m so, so sorry…”

The Broadcasting Committee room door was closed, but it made no noise when Subaru opened it by a crack to peek inside. Shinobu was seated in front of the monitors, staring diligently while stifling a yawn. Subaru swallowed; he was nervous now. His hands were shaking and his breath was quickening. The encyclopedia felt unbearably heavy in his hands. He was scared, terrified even—but the scandal about Hokuto flashed within him again, and he closed his eyes and made up his mind.

_Now!_

Subaru burst through the door, holding the encyclopedia up high, aiming to bring it down upon Shinobu’s head in one strike. But he had underestimated the little ninja’s training. Maybe Shinobu had heard something, or maybe it was an automatic danger reflex—right before impact, he lurched right out of his chair and fell to the side, barely missed by the encyclopedia. His small body slammed into the table, winded, and he cried out in pain. In a daze, he saw his attacker take another step towards him, with a terrified expression almost mirroring that of his own, raising the weapon up again—

Shinobu screamed. Subaru brought the encyclopedia down, and this time it struck home.

That was when the lights went out.

It came as such a shock to him that Subaru almost screamed, himself. It was as if the darkness he had pledged himself to had suddenly become literal, and was punishing him—but when he realized it was only a power outage, he relaxed a little only to become aware of another thing. Frantic footsteps rushing up the stairs toward him. Someone calling Shinobu’s name.

“No…no, no!” Subaru whispered in a panic, overcome with fear and a sense of nausea. Shinobu was crumpled, unconscious, at his feet. But he was still alive, wasn’t he? He had to finish the job—but—how could he if there were pursuers already?

Subaru set down the encyclopedia and put his arms around Shinobu’s body. He could lift him. That was all he needed. He threw himself out the door and ran, unaware of the tears running down his face. His mind was completely blank already; if he had been on the first floor, he probably would have carried Shinobu all the way outside in full view like an idiot. But he ran down the stairs and found himself on the second floor, and his instincts took him through the darkness until he reached a place that he realized was familiar.

His own classroom, classroom 2-A.

He didn’t think much before opening the door and throwing himself inside. There, he lay Shinobu down on the ground, and sat down, breathing hard, waiting for his way-too-fast heartbeat to ease a little. Was this it? Was he a criminal now? Was there no return—no possible way for him ever to stand on a stage and shine again?

Maybe his father had felt this when he was convicted, he thought. What would his father say to him now? Would he be disappointed that his son couldn’t deliver smiles to the people around him anymore? Would he hate him for giving up the path of an idol? Or would he understand what he was doing all of this for?

“I’m scared, dad…” Subaru whispered, tears in his eyes. “I just…don’t really know what to do anymore.”

His father had always told him that one can find strength in singing. Subaru didn’t dare sing out loud right now, but he whispered to himself a few lyrics from his favorite song, “Only Your Stars”.

_“I want you to watch me_

_where my voice can reach you_

_because I can reach the dream I've always wanted to grant…”_

“Hokke…” he buried his face in his arms. “It’s up to you to reach that dream…I have to leave now. I’ll be watching you shine, okay?”

A sound of movement. Shinobu seemed to be regaining consciousness, which meant he had no time left. Subaru took a deep breath, reached out his hands, and went for the neck.

 

\--

 

“Hokuto. …Can you hear me, Hokuto?”

Hokuto opened his eyes slightly, still somewhat groggy. “Ake…hoshi?”

“No. It’s me, Mao.” The fuzzy image of a redhead bending over him finally cleared to reveal his friend, wearing an expression of concern. “Are you okay?”

“Ugh…” Hokuto tried to sit up. “Did I pass out?”

“Yeah. You collapsed during the trial; we paused for a while, but Kirakuma says the discussion has to start again. Are you able to stand?”

Right. All the memories came back to Hokuto and he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Subaru…becoming a killer for his sake…and now dead. The pain threatened to consume him every instant, but he didn’t want to hold up the team again, so he feigned as much calmness as he could as he took Mao’s hand to stand up.

“I’m sorry…for causing a delay,” he said quietly. “I’m all right. We can continue the trial.”

“Are you really?” Makoto looked toward him in worry. “If you’re straining yourself, just say so, and we’ll take you to the infirmary or something!”

“No.” Hokuto shook his head, a bit more firmly than before. “I want to be here…to figure out who killed Akehoshi.”

“Well, it looks like everything is back in order!” Kirakuma announced from his seat in the audience. “Which means the Class Trial is starting again! Back to your places, everyone!”

 

\--CLASS TRIAL: RESUMED--

 

“So,” Rei began by addressing the group, which was already looking quite worn out. It was late into the night, after all. “We are now moving on to discuss Akehoshi-kun’s killer. Unfortunately, there are not as many clues this time. Does anyone have any first suggestions?”

“Umm…During the break just now, I happened to remember something that I didn’t say earlier,” Makoto said tentatively, and after glancing at Rei to obtain a nod of encouragement, he went on. “Ritsu-kun. When I saw you in the hallway, before we went to get the cyalumes, I saw something a little suspicious. I’m sorry if it’s my mistake, but…I felt like I saw a smear of blood on your wrist. Was that real?”

“Blood?” Ritsu blinked, and then held up his hand to look. “Ah~ you’re right. There is a smear.”

No doubt about it, there was indeed a faint red smear just below his hand. “What is the meaning behind this?” Yuzuru questioned, as he was standing beside Ritsu and could see quite clearly. “You don’t mean to say that that’s real blood, do you?”

Ritsu gave the smear a lick, and paused to consider the taste. “Yep. It is real blood~ But it’s not Subaru-kun’s blood.”

“Why should we believe you?” Koga narrowed his eyes at his classmate. “You’re part of Knights, so you have the weapon right at your fingertips, y’know.”

Ritsu sighed. “Well, this is troublesome…It’s Maa-kun’s blood.”

“Isara-kun’s?” Makoto gasped, whirling around to face Mao, who had turned red. “What—is that true?”

“Y-Yeah…” Mao nodded, visibly embarrassed. “It was…just an accident.”

“Huh? Did you get hurt? But why did Ritsu-kun…”

“It wasn’t an _accident_ ,” Ritsu cut in. “Not when Maa-kun was asking for it.”

“What? I’m confused…” Makoto looked back and forth between Mao and Ritsu, the former trying frantically to shut Ritsu up, and the latter responding with a lazy smile. “Isara-kun, please explain this…or else everyone will get the wrong idea.”

“Ugh…seriously?” Mao looked around the circle, meeting many bewildered gazes, and sighed. “All right, all right. This evening, when I was leaving after my practice session with Subaru, I ran into Ritsu. He was insisting that he wanted to kill someone for my sake, because he had gotten my scandal…and I wouldn’t let him. We got into a…little fight over it, and it ended up with him biting me. Here.” Mao rolled up his sleeve to reveal a bandage plastered over his arm. “He cleaned it up and treated me afterwards, so I guess that’s where the blood came from.”

“It’s because Maa-kun was being all self-demeaning and saying things like ‘I’m a replaceable idol, anyway~!’ ‘It doesn’t matter if my reputation is ruined~’ and all that. It made me pretty mad,” Ritsu said nonchalantly.

“Hmm…Even though everyone’s looking surprised, I wonder why it doesn’t surprise me at all~?” Izumi commented while throwing a sideways look at Ritsu. “You two sound like the people who would do that.”

“Well, seeing as Isara-sama has provided his testimony, we’ll accept this explanation,” Yuzuru addressed Ritsu. “But it still doesn’t clear you of suspicion. Who’s to say you didn’t go on to kill Akehoshi-sama afterwards? Especially since you seemed so keen to kill for your friend’s sake.”

“But I won’t kill anyone if Maa-kun doesn’t want me to~” Ritsu smiled. “Don’t accuse people unless you have solid evidence, alright~?”

“There’s another problem with Ritsu being the culprit, or, in fact, all of Knights,” Rei put in. “The locked door of classroom 2-A. Since Ritsu did not have the key to the classroom, how could he kill Akehoshi-kun inside, lock the door and then escape?”

As the group fell into silence, Eichi spoke up. “According to what I’ve heard, Hidaka-kun was the only one with the key to the classroom. Is that true?”

Hokuto nodded. “Yes.”

“And did you have the key with you the whole time?”

“Yes, I did. I always keep the key in my pocket, and I didn’t give it to anyone, nor did I lose it somewhere, because I had the key when I was called for before the body was discovered.” Hokuto paused. “I see. What I’m saying right now makes myself fairly suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“So you’ve realized.” Eichi smiled warmly, but his eyes reflected none of that warmth. “Right now, the only person we can think of who can commit the murder, lock the door and escape is you…Hidaka-kun. Might I ask, where were you this evening when the murder happened?”

Hokuto sighed, hesitating, but eventually spoke. “In my dorm. Alone.”

“Is there anyone who can prove your alibi?”

“…No.”

“I-Is that it?” Tomoya cried out, crestfallen as he looked toward his senior. “I’m sure you weren’t the one that did it, Hokuto-senpai! There has to be something else that can prove your innocence!”

Hokuto shook his head. “I don’t really think so. I was thinking about the scandals and wanted to be alone, so I avoided anyone else for almost the entire duration of this evening…You can suspect me if you want, I guess. I don’t have any valid defense.”

“We won’t do that!” Mao shouted. “I know more than anyone how much Subaru meant to you. How could you possibly have killed him?”

“Besides, how could Hokuto-senpai have gotten the weapons to commit a murder?” Tomoya argued. “The weapons were taken from the Knights Unit Practice Room. Anyone outside of Knights couldn’t access it, right?”

“Unfortunately, there is still a different explanation, Tomoya-kun,” Wataru announced in his theatrical voice. “Imagine—a member from Knights takes out a weapon, perhaps for self-defense, or in preparation of a crime. They hide it somewhere, and Hokuto-kun chances upon it and uses it for himself. It is a twist not uncommon in mystery novels, yes?”

“Buchou! Whose side are you _on?_ ” Tomoya cried incredulously.

“No, it’s just an objective argument,” Hokuto said calmly. He surveyed the group. “Is there anyone from Knights that did this?”

The stage was silent, until Ritsu put up a hand languidly. “I did.”

_“You did?!”_

The entire group stared at the younger vampire in astonishment. Even Hokuto was slightly taken aback, as he hadn’t expected someone to actually come forth. Ritsu kept a cool and relaxed countenance as he responded.

“Yeah, I did. I took out a sword, dagger, and cape last night, when everyone was asleep, and hid them. It’s because like I said, I was thinking about killing someone for Maa-kun, but I still never used them; I don’t know if they’re still there or not, either.”

“That’s good enough,” Izumi said. “Let’s say that Hidaka found your weapons, and decided to use them. He set up the blackout, took the sword and cape, committed the crime, threw the weapons out the window, locked the door, and left immediately.”

“Stop it!” Mao snapped. “This is absurd. Don’t you see how hurt Hokuto has been after all of this? Stop pushing him further and hurting him more by suspecting him like this!”

“But try as you might, you can’t prove his innocence,” Eichi pointed out.

“That’s not the same as proving him guilty!”

“But can you think of any other explanation to the locked doors?”

“But that’s—that’s—”

“Umm, excuse me, President-san…?” Someone interrupted timidly. It was Hajime, looking a bit nervous as he addressed his senior. “M-May I say something, please?”

“Why, of course, Hajime-kun,” Eichi replied.

“Thank you…It’s just that, there’s been something bothering me about this…” Hajime said hurriedly, dipping his head down in fear of meeting anyone’s gaze. “I-I’m sorry if I’m being stupid about this. But…if Hidaka-senpai really did it, why would he choose to lock the door…?”

“Huh?” Mao blinked at the unexpected question.

“Y-You see, by locking the door, isn’t he making himself more suspicious? We all know that Hidaka-senpai is the only one with the key, and because of this, we’re all suspecting him right now…But if he left the door open, anyone could be suspected, not just him. So why would he endanger himself by locking it…?”

Rei looked deep in thought at the first-year’s words. “Indeed. That is a very crucial point, Hajime-kun,” he affirmed. “You are absolutely right—a smart boy like Hokuto-kun would not do such a superfluous thing. It seems we have to reconsider this.”

Hokuto bowed down. “Thank you for believing in me.”

“Alright, then let’s look for other explanations!” Makoto asserted, more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this. “How else can we solve this locked room mystery?”

“What if—th’ killer escaped outta the window?” Mika suggested. “We found th’ weapons outside the window, so…it’s probably not too far-fetched t’ say that the killer left that way?”

“Hmm…That’s a good point, but how could the killer have escaped from a second-floor window?” Arashi pointed out.

“It’s easy! Sora does it all the time!” Sora called out, puffing out his chest. “Sora can even climb back up by scaling the wall!”

“Ahaha, I think not everyone has an athletic ability like yours…” Tsumugi laughed.

“I don’t think it’s too hard to escape from a second-story window like that,” Kuro said thoughtfully. “As long as you have some sort of tool with you…Like the cape. If you twisted the cape into a rope, you could probably use it to descend from the window.”

A few nods of approval, but Makoto didn’t notice because he was busy flipping through his ID card to find what he had been thinking of. He didn’t trust his memory, but if he had managed to catch it on a photograph…

“Got it,” he said. “This is the photo I took of classroom 2-A, when we were investigating.”

“What about it?” Mao asked.

Makoto pointed at a specific spot on the photo. “The windows—they’re all closed. If the killer escaped from the window, there would be a window left open, right?”

Hokuto frowned as he looked. “Maybe the killer managed to climb back up and close it? Even though it seems pretty impossible…”

Makoto shook his head. “No—look closely. The windows are closed and _latched from the inside_. Even Sora-kun wouldn’t be able to do that.”

“Damn it, you’re right!” said Mao.

“So it seems the locked room is completely sealed, on all sides,” Rei said. “This is troubling.”

“Troubling” was putting it lightly. Makoto felt as if they had been running around in circles, chasing their own tail, but eventually getting nowhere. Somehow, after all this debate, it was like they were back at square one. Disappointment engulfed them once again, and it was beginning to settle into frustration.

“Ugh…Maybe we should give up,” said Midori, leaning on his railing in dejection. “If we give up, we might wake up from this bad dream…where killers disappear from locked rooms…”

“Disappear…disappear from locked rooms?” Makoto echoed, feeling the word choice was a bit strange, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Disappear. That’s right.

_Someone else had disappeared from the same room._

Makoto looked up with a start. “Um—Sakasaki-kun?”

The red-haired magician turned around, his expression dangerously blank. “YES?”

“I—Nito-senpai and I saw you walk into classroom 2-A and then disappear, if we’re not mistaken.” Makoto breathed nervously. “I wonder…if you can tell us how you did it?”

“Hmm…That sounds like a far-fetched accusaTION. Are you sure it wasn’t just an illuSION?” Natsume chuckled.

“No—Mako-chin is right,” Nazuna jumped in. “Both of us saw you going in at the same time. We went after you, but once we entered the room you were gone.”

“Wh-What is that supposed to mean?” Yuuta shouted fearfully. “You didn’t see a ghost, did you?”

“It couldn’t have been a ghost, as Natsume-kun is very much alive standing before us,” said Wataru. “I believe it was one of your tricks…the ‘magical spells’ that you seem so fond of. Is that the reason behind all this, I wonder?”

“Well, even if what you saw was a disappearing SPELL, a magician doesn’t give away his tricks so easiLY, as Wataru-nii-san certainly KNOWS,” Natsume said, addressing Makoto. “What makes you think I’d tell YOU?”

“So you _do_ know something!” Makoto exclaimed. “Please, Sakasaki-kun. Whatever you know might be really important for this case. What if the killer used the same spell you did?”

“There are no real such things as spells and the LIKE…” Natsume sighed. “Only things you can figure OUT, and things that you CAN’T. If you can’t figure it out, though, it’s your LOSS.”

“Gah! There’s no use talking to him! He’s speaking in riddles!” Koga yelled, irritated.

“Well, if you need a reason that badly, I’ll tell you why you should speak,” Madara addressed Natsume, looking him squarely in the eye from across the circle. The group quieted. Even though he was smiling, the air emanating from the “rogue” had become inexplicably sinister.

“Right now, Natsume-san, you are the only one who seems to know a secret way out of the classroom,” he explained. “And the way you are covering it up suggests some malicious things about your participation in this case. Do you not realize you are looking very suspicious right now? Do you understand that if you don’t come clean about whatever it is that you’re hiding from us, we will take you to be the killer and vote for you at the end of the trial? Whether or not you are the killer, you will die. On the other hand, if you talk, we might be able to figure out the real killer, if it’s not you, and you might live.”

“You’re threatening ME,” Natsume observed.

“You can say that,” Madara agreed.

The air stood still as the two faced one another, waging an invisible and unspoken battle, each weighing the pros and cons of their strategies. Finally, Natsume relented, breaking his gaze.

“All RIGHT. I will do as told and tell the TRUTH. But on one condition—that you believe ME, and accept that I am not the kiLLER.”

“Sure! If you give us enough reason to believe you!” Madara laughed.

“Where should I beGIN…I suppose with the question that everyone here is most curious OF,” Natsume decided. “The disappearing SPELL. It is really a simple trick, you SEE. Sari-kun, can I have the photo you took of the classroom, PLEASE?”

“Yeah…here you go.” Mao handed his ID card to Natsume, with the photo of 2-A displayed on the screen.

“Thank YOU. Now, look closely at these marKINGS.” Natsume pointed at the blackboard in the photo. “These chalk markings form a pentaGRAM, which indicates one of my secret passageWAYS. When you unlock it by hitting the marked areas with a haMMER, and then push on the blackBOARD, it will rotate…and open a passageway that is connected to the adjacent classroom, 2-B.” [1]

“So that’s how it works!” Makoto exclaimed.

“I’ve spent so long in that classroom and never even noticed…” Hokuto shook his head in awe.

“I had expected something of the sort, considering our Sakasaki-kun’s affinity for secret passageways,” Rei chuckled. “Quite ingenious, I must say.”

“But that just means it’s more likely he’s the killer!” Koga yelled.

“HUSH. I will now explain my side of the stoRY, and give my own aliBI,” Natsume continued. “During the entire time from Ukki-kun’s sighting of me until the murDER, I was on the other side of the blackboard, in classroom 2-B, watching and listenING.”

“ _Watching?_ ” Shinbou gulped. “Wh-Why would you do something like that, de gozaru?”

“As for WHY…” Natsume paused to consider. “I suppose you can say that I wanted to make SURE. In other words, I was there to prevent the possibility that has already haPPENED—which is you, Shinobu-kun, surviving this orDEAL.”

“What—me, surviving?” Shinobu shrank back in fear. “But _why_? What are you talking about?”

“Let me exPLAIN,” Natsume said calmly. “See, I wanted to make sure that a murder was carried out correctly and without blunDER. That’s because I, as well as everyone else, would benefit from IT—the scandals are withdrawn as long as ‘a murder’ is committed, no matter by WHOM. That is why I went to all the trouble of coaxing Baru-kun to ACT, and see to it that he carries through with his PLAN.”

“You mean— _you_ persuaded him to kill?” Hokuto gripped the railings in front of him, face white with shock and rage. “This was your doing, Sakasaki?!”

“Calm down, Hokkee-KUN,” Natsume laughed. “The seed of murderous intent was there in your friend from the very begiNNING. All I did was bring it out of him a liTTLE. A simple spell was enough to persuade him to go through with what he was thinking OF.”

“No…that’s unthinkable…” Hokuto gripped at his head, the memories of that day on the seaside coming back to him. “The whole time, he’s been under your influence…?”

Natsume continued, paying Hokuto no attention. “Despite all my preparaTION, I was afraid that poor, inexperienced, hesitant Baru-kun would mess up and fail to kill the tarGET. Therefore I used myself as a backup opTION. If Baru-kun failed and worst comes to WORST, I would kill the target mySELF. That was my PLAN.”

“So that’s why ya staked out in class 2-B…” Mika said. “But how did ya know where to go ahead of time?”

“I am a SEER,” Natsume explained. “Though I am not as skilled as my mother YET, I can predict the future up to a certain deGREE. As a gift, Kirakuma has bestowed me with my crystal BALL, and using it I received hints about where the crime would take place toNIGHT. I knew very little about what was going to haPPEN; I did not know who would be the victim, or what methods Baru-kun may USE. But I knew the location, and I used THAT.”

“You say that you wanted to prevent Akehoshi from failing,” Keito said, “but you were not successful in that. What stopped you? More importantly, if you were watching the entire time, did you not see Akehoshi’s killer?”

“I am getting to THAT,” Natsume responded.

“Now, let me explain what haPPENED. I was waiting in classroom 2-B, listening by lifting up the blackboard—as it was too dark to see—and heard Baru-kun enter with Shinobu-kun in TOW. Baru-kun strangled Shinobu-kun until he stopped moVING, but he let go too earLY. Poor Baru-kun was probably too weak-hearted and scared of what he had done, and I heard him run for the door before I could step out and tell him to finish the JOB. However, almost immediately after Baru-kun opened the door, I heard the sound of something being SLASHED, and I heard his body drop to the GROUND.”

“In the darkness I couldn’t see who the killer WAS, but it seems he had been waiting behind the DOOR. I didn’t dare step out from my hiding place, for fear of being attacked mySELF, and moments later Baru-kun’s body was thrown back inside—the killer still did not enter—and the door was slammed SHUT. I waited until there was no sound, and then entered the classROOM. I checked carefully that Baru-kun was indeed DEAD, and then locked the classroom door and exited through class 2-B. As for why I locked the door, things had gone out of my conTROL, and I was afraid I would be suspected—because Ukki-kun and Nito-kun had seen ME. I wanted to frame Hokkee-kun, essentiaLLY. However, that has backfired on ME…” Natsume smiled. “It was an idiotic extra move that I did in a paNIC.”

Hokuto’s head was swimming. He was trying hard to wrap his mind around all this, but it was too much. He wanted to laugh and cry and slam his fist into the wall and scream at Natsume all at once. How dare he use Subaru like this? How dare he watch through the whole thing and then waltz away freely at the end? _Who gave him the right to?_

Not only himself; the entire room was stunned at Natsume’s elaborate story. Was he to be believed? But if so, that would mean that essentially, anyone could have killed Subaru and ran with it. Anyone at all.

“I…I say he’s lying,” Kaoru said, a little shaken. “All that stuff about an unknown killer finishing Subaru-kun off outside the room? He probably made that up to cover himself.”

“I can’t help but think so, too,” Tsukasa agreed. “Pardon me for saying this, but I think it’s far more plausible that Sakasaki-senpai hid in class 2-B, murdered Akehoshi-senpai himself, and then locked the door and left. The unknown figure outside the door is a bit too far-fetched.”

Natsume shrugged. “Suspect me all you WANT, but I have told the TRUTH. I asked you to accept that I am not the kiLLER, but if you still insist on doing so, you’ll just be leading yourselves to your DEATHS.”

“That attitude of yours is really fucking annoying!” Koga snapped at him. “You’re threatening _us_ , when _you’re_ the suspicious one here?”

“No, Doggie, I do not think Sakasaki-kun is lying,” Rei cut in.

“Hah? Are you covering for him just ‘cause he’s part of the ‘Five Oddballs’ like you?” Koga yelled back.

“No.” Rei gave his junior a stern look, shutting him up. “Do you have a poor memory, Doggie? That’s not good. Young people like you are supposed to be much better at this than I am.”

“What the hell are you goin’ on about?”

“Remember. We have found evidence for Sakasaki-kun’s story, have we not? The traces of blood in the corridor…outside the classroom.”

Rei stopped, allowing his junior time for it to sink in. The blood they had found had always been a question mark lingering in Rei’s mind throughout the trial, but now with Natsume’s testimony, he could finally connect the dots.

“Right…I forgot. I guess that proves it,” Koga conceded, somewhat sheepishly. “The blood in the corridor means he was killed outside the room, then. It all ties up.”

“So, Sakuma-kun, Oogami-kun, I take it that your evidence proves the truth of Sakasaki-kun’s story,” Eichi concluded. “But this leads us to another standstill. Who was the person who slashed down Akehoshi-kun outside the door?”

Now there was a dead end if Mao had ever seen one.

Everyone was lost in thought. There was nothing to keep track of time in the auditorium, but Mao felt as if the discussion had been going on for hours already. He wouldn’t be surprised if they stepped outside again to find dawn beginning to break. And yet what had they accomplished? Were they any closer to catching the killer?

Yes, they were, he reminded himself. They knew far more about the case now than when they just started. They knew almost all the ups and downs of what happened, and knew how the killer—how both killers—committed their crimes. Within all this information, there was bound to be something…anything…a hidden clue to catch.

“Let’s go over everything we know now,” he suggested, “to straighten it all out.”

The group agreed. They went through a rundown of the events that night: the blackout, Subaru attacking Shinobu and carrying him down, Natsume watching in classroom 2-B, the killer slashing Subaru in the corridor.

When they got to that part, Ritsu paused, a troubled expression on his face, trying to mull something over.

“What is it, Ritsu?” Mao noticed and looked curiously toward his friend.

“I just realized…there’s something a little strange in what Natsume-kun said earlier,” he said slowly.

“Strange?”

“He said that Subaru-kun was slashed down _immediately after_ he stepped out the door. That sounds to me like the killer was standing outside, waiting for him. After all, that was way too fast for the killer to be passing by and attacking Subaru-kun by chance, right?”

Mao nodded. “Probably.”

“But that’s the thing,” Ritsu continued, frowning. “ _How did the killer know to wait outside that door?_ It’s not like anyone knew Subaru-kun was going to be in there.”

Natsume had caught on to his line of thought, and showed his agreement. “That’s strange inDEED. I’m quite sure that Baru-kun wouldn’t tell anyone where he was going to BE—rather, it’s highly likely he didn’t know himself, eiTHER. So how did the killer KNOW?”

“What if the killer heard sounds in the room and knew there was someone in it?” Tsumugi suggested.

“I don’t think SO,” said Natsume. “Baru-kun had been careful to keep quiET. I could only hear anything by lifting up the blackBOARD; the room should appear as silent and deserted to the outSIDE.”

“That’s really weird,” Arashi remarked. “And sort of creepy, too. In that total darkness, in that long, empty hallway, the killer was able to tell which room Subaru-chan was in…and stood outside to wait? What sort of person are we dealing with here?”

“There’s got to be some sort of explanation, though,” Nazuna argued. “Let’s think about it this way. How did _we_ know that the room wasn’t empty? What made _us_ look in there?”

“Oh— _the shuriken trail!_ ” Makoto yelled with a start. “We followed the shuriken trail to classroom 2-A, and that’s the only way we knew there was someone in there—namely, Shinobu-kun.”

“You’re right, Mako-chin!” Nazuna beamed in excitement. “So can we say that—the killer also followed the shuriken trail, and _that’s_ how they knew where to look?”

Natsume considered the idea. “I think it’s plausiBLE. Especially considering that, there seems to be _no other signs_ that could have led the killer to this DOOR.”

“But…that would mean the killer was going after Shinobu the whole time, and not Akehoshi-senpai,” Tomoya pointed out, a bit confused.

“And that’s _completely possible_ ,” Ritsu reasoned, looking more and more certain as he spoke, some sort of strange confidence growing on him. “Someone could have been waiting for Shinobu-kun. That someone had known he would be in the broadcasting room, and targeted him from the start. After turning out the lights, they went to the broadcasting room only to find that Shinobu-kun was gone…and then they followed the shuriken trail to the classroom, and waited to kill him the first moment he stepped out of the door. However…the killer didn’t know that it was Subaru-kun who was going to come out. He still struck anyway, because he couldn’t see immediately. That’s the thing here. _Subaru-kun’s death was an accident._ ”

“An _accident_?” Hokuto questioned, wearing an expression of utter disbelief.

“It is a convincing theory, Hidaka-kun,” Eichi persuaded him. “Besides, it is far more likely that a killer would target Shinobu-kun, who is smaller, weaker and alone, compared to your friend Akehoshi-kun, from the outset.”

Makoto seemed deep in thought. “No…I don’t really think that’s possible.”

“Why not?” Nazuna looked at him, surprised.

“We didn’t notice the shuriken trail the first time we entered the broadcasting room, remember, Nito-senpai? That’s because everything was dark and _we couldn’t see_. We only saw the shurikens after we turned the lights back on and returned. The killer couldn’t have followed the trail, because the lights weren’t on yet.”

“Oh.” Another wave of disappointment washed over the students.

“But perhaps…” Tsukasa spoke up, brows furrowed. “Perhaps the killer _did_ have a light.”

“What? You mean the cyalumes?” Makoto asked. “None of them were missing when we went to get them, though.”

“No.” Tsukasa shook his head. “I meant a flashlight.”

“There are no flashlights equipped in the school,” Keito pointed out.

“There is one.” Tsukasa paused. “Narukami-senpai, Sena-senpai. Do you remember what Leader was saying when we saw him outside tonight? Things like ‘I came out because I couldn’t see’, ‘looking for the last strand of illumination’, and ‘even _that_ was gone’. I was very confused as to what exactly he meant by that…but after thinking for so long, I realized.”

“Huh~? Did I say stuff like that?” Leo looked oblivious. “I guess I did! I’m so poetic at times!”

“What Leader was talking about,” Tsukasa continued, “was the flashlight that I had put in a stock of overnight toiletries for him at the archery range. It’s where he often stays when he’s composing all the way till morning, so I wanted him to at least have the right supplies with him—there’s a flashlight, emergency food and a sleeping bag. [2] I’m pretty sure that’s what he was looking for when he was outside…But evidently, he didn’t find it. _Someone probably took it out already_.”

“That’s—oh, no,” Arashi said. “Only Knights members know about this, right?”

“And a few others that I invited for a sleepover once!” Leo jumped in, grinning wildly. “But yeah, Suo~, that’s exactly right! The flashlight was what I was looking for! But it disappeared, and I was pretty upset ‘cause I couldn’t compose under just the moonlight~!”

“So, let me straighten this out,” Eichi spoke, with his lips pursed. “There was a flashlight located in the archery range for Tsukinaga-kun’s use. This flashlight was taken out by the killer, who used it to trace down the shuriken trail and arrive at classroom 2-A, waiting to kill Shinobu-kun. However, Akehoshi-kun was killed instead. Did I get that right?”

“Yeah. At least, that’s what we’ve figured out,” Nazuna replied.

“Well, then, I think we know the killer.” Eichi smiled casually, as if this was the easiest thing in the world.

“You _do?_ ”

“Yes. Sena Izumi-kun…You were the one hanging around in the archery range after the murder, saying you were ‘returning something of Ou-sama’s’…Am I right, Keito?”

“Yes, you are.” Keito nodded.

“So you’re accusing me,” Izumi said, calm and cold and unflinching as he held Eichi’s gaze.

“That’s right. Would you care to explain your presence at the archery range tonight? Were you not returning the flashlight that you had taken as part of your murder plot?”

“Even if I was returning the flashlight, what of it?” Izumi retorted without hesitation. “I was only borrowing it in order to see in the dark, so the killer wouldn’t catch me by surprise, yeah?”

“Really now?” Eichi chuckled. “That’s a problem. Because according to our reasoning, that flashlight must have been in the killer’s hands, considering that there are no other flashlights on campus.”

“All of this is pure guesswork. None of you can even say for sure,” Izumi scoffed.

“Izumi-chin,” Nazuna addressed Izumi solemnly. “I really don’t want to suspect you, but…I remember running into you on the way to the electricity room, and you were going in the opposite direction. Was that a coincidence? Or was it you on your way out after flipping the switch…?”

“That sounds pretty darn suspicious to me,” Hinata called out.

“It was a coincidence,” Izumi argued.

“I think not,” Rei interjected carefully. “As Mikejima-kun has said earlier, ‘One coincidence may be called a coincidence; too many coincidences and it becomes a reality.’ Sena-kun, do you have an alibi or something of the sort to prove your innocence? If not…”

“Oh, _please!_ ” Arashi yelled. “I don’t want to see Izumi-chan suspected for such a flimsy reason! Izumi-chan isn’t the type of person to do things like that. That boy has a good heart, alright?”

“Naru-kun…” Izumi was a bit taken aback, looking at Arashi with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.

“Do you have any evidence for that claim, Narukami-kun?” Eichi questioned him.

“Right. I’ve been thinking,” Arashi explained, “about what Natsume-chan said. He said that the killer never entered classroom 2-A, right? So what about the sword and cape that were thrown out the window? They weren’t thrown out; the killer must have went _outside_ to drop the items. But Tsukasa-chan and I saw Izumi-chan inside, on the first floor, almost right after the time of murder—right when the lights came on, I think. Why, he was coming out of a classroom, not out of breath or anything! Would he have been able to go outside and loop back around inside in that short amount of time? In any sense, it’s illogical!”

Izumi remained silent as Arashi said this, maintaining the plain poker face that he had gotten so good at throughout his modeling years. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

The stage was silent, overflowing with the aura of thought. Until Makoto pushed up his glasses and hesitantly spoke.

“Umm, Narukami-kun. Which classroom was Izumi-san coming out of when you saw him?”

“Huh? Which classroom? I think it was…er…”

“1-A,” Tsukasa filled in for him. “I remember quite clearly, as I asked about it.”

“…So that explains it,” Makoto said in a heavy tone. “I know what happened now.”

“Yuu-kun…?” Izumi looked up, locking gazes with Makoto, who was looking at him apologetically.

“Izumi-san. Your being in classroom 1-A was not a coincidence either…because _classroom 1-A is directly below classroom 2-A_. You got rid of the sword and cape by throwing them out the window of 1-A…so it appears they were thrown out of 2-A, correct?”

“But that’s—!” Arashi argued.

“Leave it,” Izumi interrupted him. “There’s no use fighting anymore. There’s no hope left.”

Arashi’s eyes widened, and he pulled back. “You don’t mean—No—”

“It all adds up,” Makoto concluded. “Izumi-san…It was you, right?”

Under the shocked gazes of the entire group, Izumi hefted a long sigh. He gave Makoto a small smile. “Really. How annoying. Out of everyone who could have finished me in the end, it had to be you, Yuu-kun. That’s way too ironic for my taste. Ahh, but you’ve grown up so much…You’re so strong and confident now…I…” A tear rolled down his cheek, but he didn’t seem to realize.

“I can’t believe it…Sena-senpai, was it really you?” Tsukasa asked.

“No! Sena! Senaaaa! Don’t give in to their accusation!” Leo cried out. “You’re not the one who did it! I know you wouldn’t, so tell them it wasn’t you!”

“Ou-sama…” Izumi lowered his head. “I’ve disappointed you.”

“No—why are you going on about that?” Leo yelled, gripping his railings and leaning his entire body toward Izumi, as if he wanted to reach out and grab him. “The Sena I know wouldn’t go on to kill others so viciously like that…You were always my proudest knight, who waged and won fair battles! You would pick up and hold a sword with honor, and fight on the brightest stage! This isn’t you, Sena, it couldn’t have been! So _tell them it wasn’t you!_ ”

Izumi looked away, avoiding Leo’s gaze. More tears were spilling from his eyes already, but he was still holding on to the last fragments of what he called pride, and stubbornly refused to acknowledge them. He didn’t say anything.

“Sena-kun?” Eichi addressed him with his unchanging, impenetrable smile. “Are you confessing to your crime? Is everything we’ve figured out correct?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course.” Izumi suddenly broke into a tearful laugh, his tone sarcastic, almost mocking, chiding the group—or was it himself? He straightened up and looked at the circle with his usual haughty expression. “An A+ for you all. You figured everything out, you smarty-pants. Mr. Izumi is very proud.”

“Everything…? We got everything right?” Mao gasped.

“Pretty much.” Izumi smirked. “You guys sniffed out my entire plan from start to finish. Yeah, I planned the blackout in advance. The night before, I took out the sword and cape from our Unit Practice Room, and the flashlight from the archery range, and stashed them in the electrical room, when you all were sleeping—it’s a wonder I didn’t bump into you, Kuma-kun.”

“Bad luck,” Ritsu said, his expression somber.

“No kidding,” Izumi said. “—And after that, tonight at 9 PM, I went and flipped the switch. If only I knew that Akehoshi Subaru-kun was going to be moving at the same time I was…More bad luck, I guess. I grabbed the sword and the flashlight, and put on the cape. And then I went over to the broadcasting room, since I _happened to know_ that the little brat was going to be in there at that time.” He eyed Shinobu. “And yeah, I ran into Nazunyan on the way—lucky I didn’t turn on the flashlight just yet, or else you would’ve seen everything.”

Nazuna shook his head fiercely. “I really…can’t believe it…”

“But when I reached the broadcasting room,” Izumi continued, “What a surprise! The little brat wasn’t in there. So I used the flashlight to check and found the shurikens. I remembered a little bit about that boy’s liking for ninjas, so I put two and two together and followed the trail. Once I came to classroom 2-A, I laid low outside and waited—I turned the light off, of course, so I wouldn’t be noticed. I meant to cut him down once the little brat stepped out of the door, but the joke was on me now.” He smiled bitterly.

“After I made my kill and turned on the light to check, guess who was there bleeding and dying? Not the little brat, but Akehoshi Subaru-kun! I’ll admit, I panicked. I threw him back in the room and wiped off the area with the cape as much as I could. And then I ran, and I’d gotten to the first floor before I realized the sword and cape were still with me, so I went into a random classroom and chucked them out the window—it was pure luck that it was below classroom 2-A, though. And then Naru-kun and Kasa-kun caught up to me, and you know the rest.”

When Izumi finished his monologue, the stage was silent. Unlike Eichi’s confession, when the entire stage was engulfed in an apprehensive fear of the Emperor and his insidious threat, Izumi’s confession inspired only sadness. Despite the haughty façade he was putting up, he was a knight that had lost all his armor, utterly defeated on the battlefield.

“Izumi-san…” Finally, Makoto spoke. “I don’t want to get angry and scream bloody murder at you. I don’t want to defend you either. I just don’t understand—why did you do it? Who were you doing this for? This isn’t the Izumi-san I used to know…”

“I was…” Izumi faltered, not meeting Makoto’s gaze. “I’m sorry, Yuu-kun, for failing you. This is the moment I’ve dreaded the most. I’ve always been afraid of this happening. …Of Yuu-kun hating me…”

“Izumi-san,” Makoto addressed him sternly. “ _Of course_ I’ll hate you if you don’t tell me anything! I don’t understand how you could kill Akehoshi-kun so easily, but at least you could explain! I’ll listen because I still trust you, Izumi-san. I don’t believe you’d do something like this out of pure malice. I want to believe that you have a reason for doing all of this!”

“……” Izumi was hesitating. He raised a hand to his eyes and discreetly tried to wipe away his tears, but he knew his every move was being watched. “…It was…it was for you, Yuu-kun.”

“For me?” Makoto blinked.

“Yeah. I—I got your scandal, Yuu-kun.” Izumi looked away shamefully.

“But—you shouldn’t have killed someone for that! You should have talked to me!” Makoto yelled. “I don’t care if I’m slandered or something like that—as long as no one dies, that’s the only thing I want! Idols are supposed to be spreading happiness, not tragedy!”

“Yeah, we all want the happy ending, don’t we?” Izumi retorted. “But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t ignore that scandal. Because it was about _that incident_ that happened years ago. The reason that you left the modeling industry. I couldn’t stand it—seeing _that_ spread all over the world again! I didn’t protect you enough that time. I didn’t want it to happen again, Yuu-kun!”

“That—I—” Makoto was struck speechless. The memories of what happened in his childhood rushed back to him, and for a moment, a split second, he felt like crying. Really, he was on the way to putting all of that behind him. But Izumi—stupid, stubborn Izumi—still felt like he had to be the reliable Onii-chan. He wanted to yell at him, but he couldn’t.

“I had thought everything out,” Izumi continued speaking, no longer bothering with his mask of coolness, allowing his words to flow freely. “I wanted to target someone easy, someone not too close to you or me, get it over with and then turn myself in. I never—never for an instant wanted to hurt you, Yuu-kun! So when I realized that instead of that brat, I killed Akehoshi…I was terrified. I knew Akehoshi was your best friend, Yuu-kun, and I knew how sad you would be over it…I was scared to death that you’d hate me. That’s why I panicked and tried to hide the body and was too scared to confess anything…I was scared of the way you would look at me when you knew. The murderer of your best friend. I didn’t want that to happen! I thought—I’d rather die, I’d rather _both_ of us were dead, than have Yuu-kun hate me!”

Izumi was crying now, bent down like a broken chess piece, in a way that Makoto thought was almost pitiful. Somehow, he wanted to reach out and comfort Izumi as well as slap him in the face at the same time.

“I won’t blame you for Akehoshi-kun’s death, Izumi-san. I don’t hate you, either. But you were wrong,” Makoto said. “I’d be just as upset if you killed Shinobu-kun. It doesn’t matter who died—I don’t want to see my reliable Onii-chan turned into a murderer!” He looked at Izumi in anguish. “I don’t know what to feel about you, but you brought this onto yourself, so I guess…you get what you deserve. I’m sorry, Izumi-san. And thank you.”

He turned away from the circle, trying to hide his pain. “Kirakuma…I think it’s time to vote.”

“Absolutely! Just in time!” the bear cackled, tossing away his bag of potato chips which was finally empty now. “A splendid end to a riveting performance, little idols! Now—are you all prepared to vote?”

“The end? Is this the end?” Leo asked, looking toward Izumi in disbelief. “Sena—was it really you?”

“It was,” Izumi responded. “I’m sorry, Ou-sama. I’ll have to leave you for now…This is really selfish of me, right? I couldn’t go on protecting both of you. In fact, I failed at protecting even one…”

“Do you all see the names and photos on your monitor screens?” Kirakuma announced to the room. “Select who you think is the murderer now, and cast your vote!”

“It’s not over!” Leo yelled. “I understand now, Sena. You were fighting for something you believe in. If you believe in it, then don’t give up like that! A knight always stays true and fights until the last moment, right?”

A series of clicks sounded across the stage as each student cast their vote with a heavy heart. Izumi smiled halfheartedly. “Regretfully, I think this knight has met his demise, Ou-sama. Please, carry on without me. Don’t make the same mistakes I made…”

“ _No!_ ” Leo cried as the screen at the back of the stage began to lower. “I’m not giving you up without a fight. I’ve failed you once already—this time I’m standing by you until the end!”

“Ou-sama, calm down! Don’t make it worse than it is—” Arashi yelled.

The results of the vote flashed onto the screen, and Izumi didn’t need to look at it to know that he had been awarded the unanimous vote. From the audience, Kirakuma stood, grinning maliciously as he clapped his hands.

“Bravo! You’ve gotten it right once again! Sena Izumi is indeed the culprit who murdered Akehoshi Subaru. Be prepared, then, for your punishment!”

“I’m not gonna let you!” Leo declared, before leaping down from his stand and running towards Izumi, stretching his hand out. “Come on, Sena! We’ll run!”

“Ou-sama?!” Before he could respond, Izumi was being pulled along by Leo by the arm, in a full-speed dash toward the door. “Let go of me! You’re going to get yourself killed, you idiot!”

“Not if we run fast enough—ah!” Leo yelled, as four Kirakumas burst through the door in front of them, blocking off their path. He spun around immediately and ran down in the other direction, only to find that four more Kirakumas entered on that side as well. They were trapped.

Izumi let out a _tch_ , grabbed hold of Leo, made a quick turn and vaulted over a row of audience seats, making a break for the back of the auditorium, where there were two more doors. Kirakuma—the main one—let out a shrill whistle, and all the other Kirakumas began their pursuit, chasing Izumi and Leo up the aisles in a frenzied race as all the other students watched in increasing horror. Izumi reached the door first and flung himself at it, turning the knob furiously before realizing it didn’t work. At some point, the bear had locked them inside.

Back on the stage, Arashi covered his eyes. He couldn’t watch anymore. He couldn’t bear to see his two good friends, his important unitmates, finally get dragged out of their sight by the army of Kirakumas that had closed in on them. He couldn’t bear to hear Leo’s frantic yells of protest drowned out by Kirakuma’s sinister cackling. And he couldn’t bear to watch as the sounds faded and the room emptied, and the screen behind them flickered and buzzed, and switched to the display of the dreaded execution.

 

\--

 

Dust and smoke permeated the air. Izumi blinked several times and coughed, before realizing he was standing in the middle of a dry, barren field, with nothing but empty soil on all sides of him. Leo was standing next to him. Somehow, they both had on their outfits from the Checkmate stage, which surprised Izumi, as that had been years ago. He had a sword in his hand, as did Leo. They were dressed up like knights on the battlefield.

The sound of a horn resonated from some place far away, and soon they heard the thunderous roar of an array of soldiers coming closer and closer to them. Izumi squinted and saw that each soldier was a Kirakuma, fully decked up in armor and brandishing a sword and shield. There were probably hundreds of them. He traded a glance with Leo.

His King grinned. “We’re not giving up yet! We’ll defeat every single one of his soldiers and come out victorious! You with me, Sena?”

Izumi nodded. Really, he didn’t mind dying himself—but since he had already failed one of the people he loved, he swore upon his life to protect the other. He brandished his sword, expression hardening.

“Stay behind me, Ou-sama,” he directed.

“What? But I want to fight with you—”

Izumi charged the Kirakumas, sword in hand, slashing at every enemy that he came into contact with. As he fought, he wasn’t sure if the Kirakumas were abnormally weak, or if it was his adrenaline boosting him; it didn’t matter, because he had only one goal now—to cut down anyone and anything in his way, and bring his King to safety. Five, ten, perhaps twenty Kirakumas were felled at his blade and dropped into the dust. Still he pushed on, unrelenting, proud and stubborn, like a true knight.

“There, Sena! I can see an opening! Once we get through this wave, we’ll be able to escape to safety!” Leo called out. He was excited, like a child. His eyes burned.

“Understood!” Izumi called back, swinging his sword again.

The two warriors—a knight and his king—moved forward until they finally reached the tiny clearance where the bear soldiers thinned out. Leo stretched out his hand and caught on to Izumi’s, gripping it tightly. The two boys ran, as fast and hard as they could, for their lives.

They were escaping, Izumi realized. For some reason, none of the Kirakumas were pursuing them, and they ran further and further until they were leaving the army behind. He felt a flicker of hope, as if perhaps they had passed some sort of test—he looked at Leo, who was grinning. Izumi smiled back. And then they heard the sound of the plane.

Kirakuma was piloting—although they couldn’t see this, they would have guessed. His battle aircraft circled the sky above where Izumi and Leo were standing, and they could somehow still hear the bear’s cackle—he was mocking them. As if they thought they had won, with their pitiful and futile swords and knights’ conduct! He was playing with them. He was giving them a chance of hope only to utterly crush it the next moment.

A crash. An ear-shattering explosion from not far next to them.

“Ou-sama!” Izumi screamed, shaking Leo’s hand free. “ _He’s dropping bombs!_ Run, NOW!”

“No! I won’t run! I’ll stay with Sena!” Leo shouted back.

“Don’t be an idiot! All they want is _me!_ This is my execution—you have nothing to do with this, Ou-sama! Get away and run, _now!_ ”

He could hear it already, something falling toward them, getting closer and closer, and he was crying. He pushed Leo away but he wouldn’t relent, and kept clutching at him even when he backed away. He shouted in frustration, and swung his sword at his King.

“Ah!” Leo reflexively dodged and stepped back. That was all Izumi needed, and he was already running, putting as much distance between himself and his King as possible.

“ _No! Senaaaaa!!_ ”

Leo cried, and tried to follow, but the impact came, and his friend’s figure was engulfed in a flash of white and the ground shook and then all sensation left him. He found himself lying flat, trying to reach the spot that was now roaring with flame, but his body wouldn’t move. He was screaming, but he couldn’t hear it anymore.

He wouldn’t believe it; he still thought that if he struggled just a bit more, he would find Izumi somewhere near him, alive and breathing, still his proud and haughty self. He wouldn’t believe that it was all an illusion. He wouldn’t believe that his friend had been ripped to shreds by the explosion and now only charred pieces of him remained scattered across the battlefield. He wouldn’t believe that his knight would never return again.

 

\--

 

“Oh no, oh no, no, no no no no no…” Arashi weeped, burying his face in his hands. “It’s not real…Izumi-chan…Ou-sama…It’s not real!”

“Will Leader be okay?” Tsukasa cried, tears streaming from his eyes. “Is he still alive? Please, someone get him to safety!”

“Don’t worry!” Kirakuma’s too-cheery voice crackled through the auditorium’s speakers, causing everyone to flinch. “I am a fair and honest bear, so I don’t intend to kill anyone that wasn’t meant for the execution! My paramedics are rushing to help your little friend, Tsukinaga Leo, so he won’t die for the time being, at least!”

Arashi watched, dazed, as a sparkling white ambulance appeared on the screen and a few Kirakumas dressed as doctors stepped out of it. Leo was lifted onto a stretcher and hurried away. It was surreal. It was like he was witnessing a dream.

“At least Leader would be okay…” Tsukasa said softly. “At least we didn’t lose our King as well as our knight. That’s a relief, right?”

Arashi was about to nod, but Ritsu leaned over to him, his expression dangerously serious.

“I think…we shouldn’t be breathing a sigh of relief right now. There’s something else we should be very worried about.”

“What?” Arashi asked.

“The explosion…it went off right next to Ou-sama. It’s a miracle that he survived, sure. But…the blast was deafening. He probably won’t be able to hear ever again.”

 

 

\- END OF ROUND 2 -

Survivors: Tetora, Hajime, Tomoya, Hinata, Midori, Shinobu, Yuuta, Mitsuru, Tsukasa, Sora, Hokuto, Makoto, Souma, Adonis, Natsume, Koga, Ritsu, Mao, Yuzuru, Arashi, Mika, Keito, Eichi, Kaoru, Shu, Madara, Kuro, Wataru, Kanata, Rei, Nazuna, Leo, Tsumugi

Survivor count: 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Natsume's secret passageway is canon and can be found in his sub-story [here](http://ensemble-stars.wikia.com/wiki/Natsume_Sakasaki/Sub_Story/Part_1)
> 
> [2] The emergency stock for Leo is also canon and can be found in the Teddy Bear scout story [here](http://ensemble-stars.wikia.com/wiki/Teddy_Bear) (Chapter 4)
> 
> To be honest when all of you were guessing Izumi after the investigation, I thought whoops, maybe I accidentally dropped TOO many hints there...but they were to make up for a lack of solid evidence, I guess. Also, halfway through this round I did regret making Izumi the killer, since then I wouldn't be able to write a good IzuLeo case later on and they're such a good relationship! So I thought I'd put it in the execution instead. I hope you enjoyed it :')
> 
> I'd really like to hear your opinions on this case as a whole. I was experimenting with a new type of case in which the key points are witnesses, testimonies, and motives, instead of hard evidence, and as it's my first attempt I think there's still more for me to improve on. Did you think this case was too complex? I sort of did at times haha;;;
> 
> With that ending to haunt you guys, I'll be taking another break to brainstorm the next case, but in the meantime I'll upload a filler chapter with all the characters' scandals! Thanks for sticking with me and see you next time!!


	14. 2.8 Extra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a compendium of all the characters' scandals used in the previous round! I left most somewhat ambiguous so your imaginations can do the dirty work for you, if you want. But please don't take these TOO seriously. XD
> 
> Scandals for and of dead people are included because we can assume that the scandals were prepared in advance, before the game began. You're welcome, guys.

 

TRICKSTAR 

Subaru -  _HIDAKA HOKUTO—THE WORST CRIMINAL IN IDOL HISTORY!?_

Hokuto -  _THE UNTOLD DIRTY SECRETS BEHIND TRICKSTAR’S RISE TO SUCCESS_

Makoto - Same as Hokuto's

Mao -  _THE NIGHTLY PURSUITS OF ‘VAMPIRE’ SAKUMA RITSU…ARE FAR MORE SINISTER THAN THEY SEEM_

 

UNDEAD 

Rei - Same as Mao's

Koga -  _THE DARK SIDE OF IDOL SAKUMA REI, UNVEILED!_

Kaoru -  _ONE FEMALE PRODUCER IN A SCHOOL OF MALE IDOLS—A LOOK INTO WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES!?_

Adonis -  _THE SCANDALOUS IDOL GROUP ‘UNDEAD’ AND THE UNSPEAKABLE TRUTHS BEHIND ITS MEMBERS_

 

FINE

Eichi -  _SPECIAL REPORT: TENSHOUIN EICHI, A NOBLE VILLAIN, AND HIS EVIL SCHEMES WHICH UPTURNED YUMENOSAKI ACADEMY, FINALLY REVEALED!_

Yuzuru -  _A LOOK INTO THE NAUGHTY PRIVATE LIFE OF SPOILED YOUNG MASTER HIMEMIYA TORI_

Wataru - Same as Eichi's

Tori -  _ANGELS, OR…? THE TRUE CHARACTER OF EACH MEMBER OF TOP UNIT ‘FINE'_

 

KNIGHTS

Leo -  _UNTHINKABLE! THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND VICIOUS IMPULSES SURROUNDING IDOL & MODEL SENA IZUMI_

Izumi -  _THE REAL REASON WHY YUUKI MAKOTO CANNOT FACE A CAMERA!?_

Ritsu -  _HOW MEDIOCRE IDOL ISARA MAO REALLY MADE IT TO THE TOP STAGE_

Arashi -  _UNSPEAKABLE SECRETS FOUND REGARDING FORMER IDOL AKIOMI KUNUGI!_

Tsukasa - “ _KNIGHTS" LEADER AND COMPOSER, TSUKINAGA LEO, WILL DO THESE THINGS TO YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK…IF YOU’RE NOT CAREFUL_

 

AKATSUKI

Keito - Same as Eichi's

Kuro -  _YOUNG IDOL NAGUMO TETORA IS FOLLOWING IN THE STEPS OF HIS SENPAI AND BECOMING A VICIOUS GANGSTER!!_

Souma -  _IDOL SHINKAI KANATA IS FINALLY EXPOSED AS A TRUE "MONSTER" OF THE OCEAN_

 

RYUSEITAI

Chiaki - Same as Souma's

Midori -  _A HERO ON THE OUTSIDE, A VILLAIN AT HEART—THE NEFARIOUS CRIMES OF RYUSEITAI LEADER MORISAWA CHIAKI AND HIS FOLLOWERS_

Kanata - Same as Midori's

Tetora -  _KIRYU KURO, ONCE A VIOLENT GANGSTER BEFORE HE BECAME AN IDOL, IS PASSING ON HIS EXPERIENCE TO HIS PROTEGE NAGUMO TETORA!_

Shinobu - Same as Midori's

 

RA*BITS

Nazuna -  _THE SECRET SEX LIVES OF THE RA*BITS MEMBERS—EXPOSED!!_

Tomoya -  _NO WAY!! THIS IS WHAT CUTE IDOL SHINO HAJIME DOES AT NIGHT TO EARN MONEY FOR HIS FAMILY..._

Mitsuru -  _RA*BITS LEADER NITO NAZUNA USES HIS CUTENESS FOR SOME SHOCKING PURPOSES!?_

Hajime -  _MASHIRO TOMOYA'S HIDDEN FETISH FOR CROSSDRESSING—REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME!_

 

2WINK

Hinata & Yuuta -  _BEHIND THE BRIGHT SMILES OF THE TWIN IDOLS THERE IS DEPRESSION, VIOLENCE, AND A TORN FAMILY. EVEN MORE SHOCKING IS WHAT THEY DID AFTER THEIR FATHER ABANDONED THEM…_

 

VALKYRIE

Mika -  _FAMOUS IDOL UNIT VALKYRIE’S LEADER ITSUKI SHU CONFESSES TO PLAGIARISM AND FRAUD…AND A WHOLE LOT MORE_

Shu -  _THE REAL REASON WHY NITO NAZUNA LEFT VALKYRIE FOR RA*BITS…PAST A MASK OF LIES AND DECEPTION IS A SURPRISINGLY DARK INNER MOTIVE!_

 

SWITCH

Natsume -  _THE FIVE MONSTERS OF YUMENOSAKI ACADEMY: UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE FALLEN, AND WHY THEY SHOULD NEVER RISE AGAIN._

Tsumugi -  _YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT, BUT THIS IS THE REAL IDENTITY OF IDOL SAKASAKI NATSUME..._

Sora -  _THE VICIOUS DARK MAGIC THAT SAKASAKI NATSUME DABBLES IN…AND HIS EVIL PLANS FOR HIS UNITMATES, REVEALED!_

 

MAM

Madara - Same as Souma's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that there are probably other possibilities for a lot of these, it was hard choosing just one person/group for each character, so I just went with my own instinct. So if you have better suggestions, go ahead and write them in the comments! 
> 
> I can't say when exactly the next case will be up but it might take a while longer since I've been a bit busy recently...But I'm definitely working on it so stay tuned! :3


	15. 3.1 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just thought it was interesting—the image of plunging yourself into the embrace of death; dying in the arms of someone you took to be beautiful. It is quite an ethereal way of dying, isn’t it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi and thank you SO much for your patience regarding this update ;___; A lot of Real Life Things happened plus the in-game event and then it was hard to get back into the rhythm of writing... XD But anyway I am back and will hopefully be updating regularly again! Enjoy the start of the new case, everyone!

After the doors opened, the first thing that Tsukasa wanted to do was rush to see their Leader, to grab hold of his hand and cry for him, to assure him that everything was going to be alright—or if all that wasn’t possible, at least to catch a glimpse of him, remind himself that he was still alive. But when he had gotten to the infirmary with Ritsu and Arashi close behind him, what awaited them was a Kirakuma, guarding in front of the door and grinning.

Tsukasa halted his footsteps, feeling a sense of complete disgust and loathing rising up within him as he saw that smug face. “Is Leader inside?” he asked the bear, not bothering with his manners.

“Yep, you bet he is!” the bear cackled. “But you’re not allowed to enter right now. You see, we’re having a wild time sticking equipment into him and putting him back together again, and he can’t possibly be disturbed until we’re finished! Come back tomorrow morning, and he’ll be good as new, heh-heh-heh-heh.”

The bear pointed up, and Tsukasa saw that the “Infirmary” sign had been taken off the door, and was replaced with a flashing light that said “FUN AND GAMES ROOM: IN USE.” He was suddenly overwhelmed by an urge to smack the bear right then and there—but he counted to ten and kept control of himself. Even though he would trust _anyone_ more than these moving stuffed toys, the life of his leader was in their hands. It was best not to upset them.

“Hey.” Ritsu stepped forward, looking down at the bear without change in expression. “How many of you are there? Do you all take orders from the real Kirakuma?”

“How many? Oh my, what a troubling question,” the Kirakuma smirked. “There are as many of us as there need be. If one Kirakuma is destroyed, ten more can be made to replace it, or a hundred more, at the flick of a finger. And the ‘real Kirakuma’? All of us are real, heh-heh! We just fulfill different roles. If the one that broadcasts to you gets knocked off all of a sudden, one of us will just step in and take his place!”

“So you’re a cheap, mass-produced toy,” Ritsu smiled. His smile widened when he saw the Kirakuma’s grinning face twitch a bit, having been caught off guard. “Well, I see. The fact that no Kirakuma serves central role means that there must be someone above you all…And there must be someplace where you’re produced in bulk on this island. Thanks for that, Kirakuma.”

The Kirakuma narrowed its eyes at Ritsu. “You know what? You’re getting on my nerves a little bit. Why don’t you all go back to your dorms for the rest of the night like the good boys you are? If you don’t, I can’t promise that your leader will be in one piece when you come see him again.”

“Don’t you _dare_ do anything to Leader!” Tsukasa snapped.

“It’s all right, Suu-chan.” Ritsu placed a hand on his underclassman’s shoulder, pulling him back just a bit. “The bear is just trying to provoke you. Let’s go back, since we’ll have to be ready for an early morning, alright?”

“…Okay.” Tsukasa grabbed hold of Ritsu’s hand—the latter was a bit surprised but didn’t refuse it—and the three knights made their way back in the direction of the dorms. Only a few days ago, Tsukasa thought, the five of them had been together, laughing and chatting in their own idiosyncratic ways, and he had been terribly annoyed by Leo’s childish antics and Izumi’s stinging sarcasm. How ironic. Now they weren’t here anymore, and he felt as if a hole had been ripped through his chest.

Remembering the Suou family pride, he tried to keep his tears in. But when he saw Arashi wiping at his eyes while shivering and Ritsu silently keeping his head to the other direction, he realized that he didn’t have to anymore.

 

\--

 

He really should have remembered, and he really should have known what Ritsu meant when he had said “be ready for an early morning”. But too many things had happened that night, and disastrous deaths and injuries have a tendency to cloud over anything else that ought to be on one’s mind. So when Tsukasa was awoken the next morning by an announcement calling everyone to the gymnasium, he sat up with a start, realizing suddenly what was about to happen.

Another murder had occurred. Which meant another Unit Practice Room was going to be unveiled.

“Hmm? Tsukasa-chan, why is your face all white?” Mitsuru, his roommate, was leaning over and looking curiously at his expression.

“I-It’s nothing,” Tsukasa stammered, shaking his head to try and clear it. His mind was still groggy after a night of barely any sleep, but he felt just a little bit calmer. Knowing Kirakuma, a new Unit Practice Room couldn’t possibly be a good thing, but he wouldn’t let that bear get the better of them anymore.

“I’m going to make sure nothing terrible ever happens again,” he swore to himself, holding his hand to his heart. “That’s what a true knight would do.”

“That’s so cool of you~!” Mitsuru commented, already bouncing around the room, full of energy. “If someone from Ra*bits died, I’d probably be so busy being sad that I couldn’t think of anything else…It’s amazing that you can still think about protecting everyone after what’s happened, yanno. I really admire you, Tsukasa-chan~”

“Eh, really?” Tsukasa was taken a bit by surprise and couldn’t suppress a smile. “Well, staying brave in the face of adversity is part of our knights’ conduct…I’m sure you can also be a knight if you want to, Tenma-kun. You just have to learn a lot and put your skills to good use.”

“Nah…I’d probably be no good at it, yanno~” Mitsuru replied. “I’m not like a knight, who always acts so well-behaved and honorable. I’m bad at following the rules, and I always cause trouble for other people, yanno. I can’t be a knight unless I have a talent for being good like you, Tsukasa-chan~”

“Aw, don’t worry about it too much,” Tsukasa consoled him. “Everyone has something they’re suited for. I think you’re doing just fine as a cute rabbit, after all.”

A grin came back to Mitsuru’s face as he said that, and Tsukasa smiled too. Inwardly, though, he felt a wisp of bitterness that he took care not to reveal. He was being praised for his talent, but he knew more than anyone that he was still a novice. There were many, many more things he still wanted to learn from his remarkable seniors—yet just last night, two members of Knights that he admired the most had been utterly crushed, their talents destroyed. Of course, he had grieved for Izumi, but he felt his heart torn even more whenever he thought of Leo. Would he ever be able to compose again? What would happen to him if he couldn’t?

— _And there was still so much more that they could’ve taught me…_

Breakfast flew past in a blur, and soon, Tsukasa found himself among the first students to assemble in the gymnasium. He watched carefully as everyone gradually filed in, gathering in their respective units, but he saw no sign of his Leader. Maybe he was still in the infirmary, resting, he thought hopefully. Either that, or…he pushed away the alternative explanation.

“Gooooood _morning_ , you lot!” Once everybody had arrived, an obnoxiously cheery voice sounded, and Tsukasa whirled around as Kirakuma appeared seemingly out of thin air. The bear was standing smugly, with his hands on his hips, unfazed by the looks of disgust and dread that the students were giving him. “Thank you all for coming on time today! I’d like to congratulate you on making it through your second murder. A splendid show, simply splendid! You all deserve a pat on the back.”

“Oi, skip the annoying introduction,” Kuro addressed the bear. “Get to the point already. It’s the lottery for the second Unit Practice Room, isn’t it?”

Kirakuma’s grin grew wider. “Indeed it is! There are still plenty of surprises I’ve got waiting for you in those rooms…Do your best to try and unlock all of them, alright? I went to all that trouble preparing them for you lot, after all!”

“We don’t need them,” Hokuto spoke up, glaring at the bear. “If you’re going to give us nothing but tools for murder, then we’ll refuse to participate.”

“Cheeky!” Kirakuma declared. “I like your spirit. Unfortunately, not participating is not allowed in this game. You’ll be getting a new Practice Room, whether you feel like it or not. There’s no rule stating you have to make use of it, of course, but even if you despise my gifts so much”—he grinned at Hokuto—“there might be a day when you’re grateful for them.”

“Never,” Hokuto stated, holding his gaze steadily.

“We’ll see about that,” Kirakuma chuckled. “Now, enough with the preambles. Can each of the Unit Leaders gather for the lottery? Oh, and of course, Knights won’t be participating in this round. You’ve gotten a room already, after all.”

Tsukasa bit his lip, feeling the lack of presence of his Leader more strongly than ever. The remaining ten Unit Leaders moved forward to pull from Kirakuma’s jar just like last time, and each plucked out a piece of paper, unfolding it tensely, holding their breaths. Everything was silent for a few brief moments, until one hand finally raised into the air.

Sakuma Rei was holding up the piece that he had picked, which had a star in the center of it.

 

\--

 

Adonis trudged down the third-floor corridor of the dormitory building, following his three unitmates, and several other students from different units. After the lottery was finished, everyone had discussed and agreed that each unit would send one member along to check out the UNDEAD Practice Room, so that there would be no surprise attacks this time. Every unit, that is, except Knights, because all three members had rushed off immediately to check on their leader. Right now, Adonis was walking next to Souma, his trusted friend and classmate, who had stubbornly volunteered to represent Akatsuki.

“Kanzaki. What do you think would be in our room?” Adonis asked.

Souma sighed. “As I have stated many times before, I do not know the answer to everything, Adonis-dono. However, judging from what was in the ‘Knights’ room, it seems the contents of the room reflect the character of the unit. ‘UNDEAD’ is known as the most rebellious and aggressive unit in Yumenosaki…Therefore, I am not optimistic about what we’ll find inside.”

“If there were weapons, like in the Knights room, do you think someone might use them?”

Souma paused to consider. “Well, I’m certain that _you_ would not do anything malicious with the weapons, Adonis-dono. But there are others that I do not trust so much. For example…” He grabbed his sheathed katana and swung it up towards Kaoru, who was walking in front of them. “There’s no telling what _that man_ would do if he came into possession of something dangerous.”

Adonis was pretty sure the third-year had heard them, but before he could make any sort of reaction, they were interrupted by Rei abruptly stopping in front of a door, which was newly adorned with UNDEAD’s unit logo. “We have arrived,” he announced grimly.

As everyone gathered around the entrance to the room, Adonis instinctively stepped in front of some of the younger students, hoping to shield them with his large frame. Rei took his ID card from his pocket and held it up.

“I am going to open the door now. The members of UNDEAD will go inside, but everyone else must take care to stay outside, for if you enter, even if by an inch, you will be executed.”

With that, he swiped his card, and the door opened. And as the inside of the room was slowly revealed, there were some surprised gasps, a few yelps of fear, and a much-too-loud “Holy _shit!_ ” from Koga.

The scene that beheld them seemed like something straight out of a horror movie. The room was dark, lit only by several candles that blazed with a bright purple flame—how did they make it purple? Adonis didn’t quite know. Under the flickering light, though, he could see that within the room were piles and piles of grotesque, macabre weapons—huge axes hanging from the wall, rows of deadly-looking clubs and maces, spiked chains scattered on the floor, and, of course, plenty of knives. Not like the bright, glinting daggers in the Knights room, but rather dull butcher’s knives that were rusted, and appeared to have lost their sheen long ago.

But that wasn’t all.

As the four members of UNDEAD made their way inside, even more horrifying items slowly met their vision. The room was surprisingly spacious, and every inch of its space was occupied. Sharp metal stakes lined one part of the floor, accompanied by wooden hammers, and an assortment of crosses and holy water placed on shelves—perhaps just to complete the picture. Further inside they found a set of gloves with fearsome-looking werewolf claws protruding from the fingertips, probably sharp enough to slay a real wolf. Torture equipment lay scattered about: a bed of nails, a rack with chains and ropes attached, more mechanisms that Adonis couldn’t put a name to. And, finally, when they reached the furthest corner of the room—

“Is that…what I think it is?” Kaoru gulped.

“I believe so,” Rei replied. “I’m impressed that they’ve managed to make something of this level. It means they’re quite serious about it.”

“Hmm…” Adonis looked carefully at the object looming before them. “That’s right. I’ve seen this on a history textbook before. It was called…”

“An _iron maiden_ ,” Koga finished for him. “A medieval torture device. I thought these guys were insane before, but this fucking proves it.”

Indeed, standing before them was the fearsome metal chamber, towering far above them, with the unmoving head of a woman at the top casting her eyes down in a cold glare. It was painted in pure black, coarse, uninviting, reeking of the flavor of death. Adonis dared to step forward and place a hand on it. Its surface was cold to the touch.

“Should I open it?” he asked.

“Please do,” Rei answered. “We need to see if it’s the real thing.”

Without uttering another word, Adonis found the handle and swung the door open in one swift motion. No doubt about it, on the inside, there were ten or so razor-sharp spikes attached to the door. These were carefully placed so that a victim’s most vital organs could be pierced, while keeping them alive so they could bleed out in agony.

Very few things in the world scared Adonis, but seeing this, he felt a genuine chill down his back.

“So it is real,” Koga remarked. “But what the hell do they want us to _do_ with it?”

“I mean, even if you put it here,” Kaoru reasoned, “It doesn’t make any sense, since we’re not going to heft that thing out of the room to kill someone, right? Unless we kill our own unit members, but come on. That’s not gonna happen.”

“I’m not quite certain either,” Rei said. “All I know is that the mastermind is probably having a good laugh at us right now. I wouldn’t put it past them to have included this just to scare us.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then it’s working,” Koga frowned. “This place is giving me the creeps. What the hell is this—a torture dungeon? Let’s get out of here already.”

“Oh, my, doggie, are you scared?” Rei teased him.

“No! I mean, it’s just an awful place. I’d find it really cool if it were a movie set or something, but these are _real_. This ain’t funny, you vampire bastard. You saw the crosses and stakes over there. Who d’you think that’s for?”

The elder vampire sighed. “I have trained myself to become resistant to these things, of course…But you’re right. It won’t be good to stay in here too long. Let us retreat.”

The quartet made their way back through the dark, haunting room until they finally reached the door, outside which everyone else was gathered, keeping a fair distance away, clamoring amongst themselves in shock and worry. Once Adonis stepped into the hall, Souma rushed up to him anxiously and grabbed onto his arms. “Adonis-dono! It is terrible, isn’t it?”

“It was…” Adonis was a bit troubled, as he wasn’t sure of the right words to use to describe this. Luckily, Rei saved him by stepping in, and addressing the group.

“Attention, please. The members of UNDEAD have taken a survey of the entire room, and I’m afraid that what I’m about to say next won’t exactly be…much to everyone’s liking.”

He proceeded to give everyone a detailed rundown of what they found inside, taking care to include everything, leaving nothing out. By the time he finally got to the iron maiden waiting for them in a sinister corner, the hall had become so silent that Adonis could hear his own breathing.

“No way…This is crazy. I can’t accept this,” someone finally said.

It was Nazuna, here representing Ra*bits. He had his hands clenched, and his head lowered so that his bangs obscured parts of his face. His expression was anguished. “We have to do something about this room, so no one will have to die again.”

“Do something?” Rei questioned. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know—all I know is—we can’t leave these here for people to use. We have to get rid of them somehow. It’s too dangerous! I can feel it already!”

“Nito-senpai is right.” Someone stepped forward. Beautiful green eyes glinted behind his blue glasses, filled with an unrelenting determination. Makoto, representing Trickstar, cleared his throat and spoke again. “If we leave things like this, someone is going to die. It’ll be just like last time.”

“Yuuki-sama, Nito-sama,” Yuzuru spoke up politely. He was here representing _fine_. “I thought the two of you were making efforts to protect everyone by way of the monitoring system. Do you find that method inefficient, perhaps?”

“That’s…something I wanted to talk about, too,” Nazuna’s voice dropped a little. “It’s just that…after what happened last time to Shinobun…I really couldn’t bear to subject any of us to more danger like that. Sitting in that room alone just makes you terribly vulnerable. Shinobun was targeted by _two people at the same time_ , for god’s sake! He’s putting up a brave front, but he’s terrified! I don’t know if you saw the dark circles under his eyes this morning…he must’ve been unable to sleep all night.”

“We considered doing the monitoring two at a time, or even all three of us at once,” Makoto added. “But it’s not realistic, since we’ll each have to spend more time on it, and it just takes up too much energy. We would be cut off from what’s going on between everybody else, and that’s dangerous in itself too. That’s why…we decided we’re pausing the monitoring program until we can find a better way to deal with this.”

“Not only that,” Nazuna said with a solemn expression, “What I’m more concerned about is that this isn’t a surefire method. Last time, someone found a loophole by causing a blackout, and even if we address that problem, there’ll be other problems in other places. The only _real_ way to stop anyone from killing anyone is to get rid of the weapons. That’s why—I beg you guys—do something about the room; seal it off, throw everything into the ocean, something like that! I don’t want a tragedy happening again!”

“Hold up, hold up,” Koga interjected, frowning. “You’re suspicious that someone from UNDEAD is gonna use these things? Are you calling us murderers?”

“You never know!” Nazuna argued. “That bear is messing with our minds too much. We have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Did _you_ expect at all that Subaru-chin would attempt murder?”

“Stop talking about that!” Koga snapped. “It wasn’t his fault that he did it. He was manipulated by that Sakasaki guy!”

“Exactly, and there’s no telling if that’ll happen again, to one of you,” Makoto said sternly. “We’re just thinking about the best interests of everyone. We can’t force you, but will you consider it?”

“Hey, sure, we’ll consider it,” Kaoru said, stepping in front of Koga, who still looked like he was ready to lash out. “But aren’t we trying to avoid exactly this kind of mistrust? We receive a room and suddenly, we’re potential murderers. Anyone can murder using the knives in the kitchen, all right? It’s no good suspecting everyone you see. Chill and we’ll figure something out, okay?”

“Kaoru-chin…” Nazuna looked at him with a mixed expression.

“I would like to add another point to this conversation,” Rei added. “Currently, the environment we are in resembles a sort of ‘isolated world’, where the only resources we may ever use are the ones given to us. When materials are so precious like this, I would advise against wasting them by throwing them away or something similar. Everything we find can serve a purpose. You see, we don’t need to use these objects as weapons. They have a chance of being useful when we eventually devise an escape plan, or more importantly…” His red eyes glinted. “If we decide to go against the mastermind.”

“Ah!” Makoto exclaimed. “That’s right…now that you say it…”

Nazuna looked deep in thought. “You have a point, Rei-chin. But still…I think we should make saving lives our priority right now…”

“Have a little faith in this old man and his friends for the time being, alright?” Rei smiled. “Give yourselves enough time to think about other options, and we’ll discuss a more specific plan later.”

“All right.” Nazuna nodded. “I trust you, so I’ll leave you guys be.”

No one said anything more after that. As the students turned and shuffled in pairs or trios back down the corridor, eager to leave the ominous Practice Room behind them, Souma walked next to Adonis again. “Adonis-dono.”

“Yes?”

“You haven’t said a word during the discussion. I want to know what you think—would you be in favor of keeping the room, or disposing of it?”

The dark-skinned boy remained silent for a few moments as he thought. But he knew thinking wasn’t a forte of his; the more he thought, the more unsure he became.

“To be honest, I don’t quite know…A part of me sees these weapons as something dangerous, which would bring tragedy upon us. But another part of me sees them as something I can use to protect the weak.” He paused. He hardly ever spoke about his feelings to other people, but suddenly he felt he wanted to. “It’s been confusing for me lately. It troubles me to think that you can only protect someone by harming others. I sometimes think to myself, did Akehoshi and Sena-senpai really do something wrong? Did they deserve their punishment?”

Souma didn’t respond for a while and Adonis was afraid that he said something he shouldn’t have. He was just about to apologize when his friend finally spoke.

“It’s hard to separate right and wrong in this world. In my family, I am taught to follow the code of conduct of a swordsman. My sword is lifted in order to protect those that I serve and follow, and I won’t regret cutting down those that stand in my way, as long as it is for the sake of someone—or something—I am loyal to. That is our moral code. In this way, we are like ‘knights’. This is why I believe that Sena-dono did not do anything wrong by attempting to protect Yuuki-dono.”

At this, though, the young swordsman’s expression changed, and he went on more grimly. “However, he has still made an important mistake. He was not ready to accept his own death after the deed has been done, and was unable to face the consequences of his actions. This has led to a pitiful struggle, one that dragged someone else along with it.” Souma’s tone was painful. “A samurai is always prepared for his own death, and faces it with honor and glory. Fearing death, running away from it—we have learned that there is no action more lethal.”

Seeing his friend’s troubled expression, Souma managed a smile. “Perhaps that is just my antiquated way of thinking. Samurai and ‘knights’ are different, after all. Come, Adonis-dono”—he patted his friend on the shoulder—“we shall take a lap around the grounds. It’ll clear our heads, and it’ll be refreshing to move our bodies again.”

Adonis nodded wordlessly, and followed.

 

\--

 

“There’s an iron maiden in the UNDEAD Practice Room,” Yuzuru said casually as he poured a cup of tea.

“Really?” Eichi answered just as casually, raising one eyebrow.

The three remaining members of _fine_ were gathered at the garden terrace, around a small table with a refreshing drink exactly the way Eichi liked it. The weather was wonderful on a crisp morning, and one could feel the sea breeze—it would have been a flawless image of peace and tranquility if not for the subject matter that they were talking about. Or, for that matter, the person at his side with a murderous intent for him. What a shame, Eichi thought.

“Oh my, oh my!” Wataru exclaimed, the only one seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, clapping his hands excitedly as his long hair billowed around him. “That sounds quite _Amazing_ …☆ Butler-san, do tell us more!”

“Of course. It is my duty to do so, since I was the one who volunteered to see the UNDEAD Practice Room,” Yuzuru said with an unperturbed smile. “It was a fascinating sight. The room was almost like a torture chamber.”

“You seem pretty pleased when you say that,” Eichi pointed out. He took hold of his teacup without drinking from it, and glanced pleasantly toward the second-year.

“Of course I am,” Yuzuru replied, setting down the teapot and taking a seat right next to the President. He looked Eichi in the eye. “I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of stories about the Iron Maiden, yes?”

“A few.”

“Did you know…that it had a predecessor? Something that was used hundreds of years before it, but worked in a very similar manner.”

“Is that so? Something that even I didn’t know about!” Wataru said cheerfully. “Please, shed some light upon it for our enjoyment!☆”

“Certainly,” Yuzuru said. “The contraption was called the _Apega of Nabis_ , and it was used by Nabis, a king of Sparta around 200 BC. It took the form of a beautiful woman—apparently the wife of Nabis—and her arms were outstretched. The king would invite visitors to dinner, and then ask them for money. If they did not cooperate, they would be sent, drunken and confused, to the Apega. They would be told to give her a hug. And when they did, someone operated the machine so that her arms would close around them—the arms were covered in sharp, lethal spikes, and they would constrict the victim, biting into his flesh, until he was crushed in the lady’s arms.” Yuzuru smiled, taking a sip of his tea. “It is said that in order to create a pressure like that, the machine must be controlled from the back using two enormous levers, most likely requiring two men. Oh,” he pointed towards Eichi’s cup. “you can drink that, by the way. I haven’t poisoned it.”

“Is that so?” Eichi looked down suspiciously. “Wataru, test it for me, please.”

“Of course,” the long-haired performer answered, “since surely someone inhuman like me can’t die from something as trivial as poison—that must be what you’re thinking, right?” He laughed boisterously, seemingly without a care. “But in any case, I don’t think there is anything poisonous available to us on this island; therefore, I think you’re quite safe, Your Majesty the Emperor!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Eichi chuckled and raised the tea to his lips. “Anyway, that was an eye-opening story, Yuzuru. I wonder why you chose to tell us now?”

“I wonder, indeed…” Yuzuru echoed. “I just thought it was interesting—the image of plunging yourself into the embrace of death; dying in the arms of someone you took to be beautiful. It is quite an ethereal way of dying, isn’t it?” He smiled slightly. “It suits you very much, Tenshouin.”

“Why, is that a compliment?”

“It can be if you want it to be,” Yuzuru responded, then got up, leaving his cleanly finished teacup on the table, and bowed gently to Eichi. “I look forward very much to the day of your death, ‘Your Majesty the Emperor’. Now, if you’ll please excuse me.”

 

\--

 

There was no longer a Kirakuma guarding the entrance to the infirmary, but Tsukasa was certain that even if there was, he would’ve shoved it right to the side before charging into the room, crying out for his Ou-sama.

“ _Leader!_ Leader, are you okay?”

Just as he entered, the curtain in front of one of the beds was pulled open, and a very familiar orange head poked out.

“Ah, it’s Suo~! Ucchuu—☆ So you came to see me! I’m so glad!”

His leader was wearing his bright smile like always, showing almost no sign that he had been through a near-death experience—other than the bandages that were covering almost every inch of his body. But Tsukasa didn’t care about that now. He was just more than relieved that their King was still alive…despite everything…still alive. He threw his arms around Leo, tears flowing from his eyes. “Oh, Leader…!”

Ritsu and Arashi had followed him into the room, and upon seeing them, Arashi jumped onto their King with a full-on hug as well. “Oh my God—I’m so glad you’ve recovered!”

“Naru! Rittsu! It feels like so long since I’ve seen you~! I’ve missed you guys, wahahaha!”

Ritsu stood a bit further back, not joining in the group hug, but with a small smile on his face just the same. He waited until his unitmates had finished their tearful embrace, and then addressed their King. “Ou-sama. Are your ears alright?”

Leo looked up, his face blank for a few moments. And then he broke into a grin. “Oh, you just said something, Rittsu? I don’t know what you said, but I’ll guess! I can imagine what Rittsu is trying to say to me! It must be something like—‘Did you sleep well?’ Wahahaha! I slept like a rock! In fact, I don’t know how long it’s been since I passed out~!”

It was like someone had dropped a heavy weight right onto Tsukasa’s heart, and he froze, staring at his Ou-sama with eyes wide, unbelieving. Everything in the room fell silent—but Leo didn’t realize that.

“Oh, um, did I get it wrong?” he laughed awkwardly as he saw the crestfallen expressions of his unitmates. “Hold on, I’ll try again! I still have to practice! Errr…let me think…”

“I-It’s true,” Tsukasa’s voice shook. “He can’t hear…”

As the harsh, unforgiving reality of those three words hit them at last, Tsukasa felt like something inside him was gradually shattering to pieces. He bit down hard on his lip, but he couldn’t stop the tears from cascading down once again, and he felt horrible for looking like this in front of his leader.

“Wait, Suo~, why are you crying?” Leo looked positively alarmed, as if he was holding a baby in his arms. “Is something wrong? What happened?”

“Ou-sama,” Arashi said gently, raising one hand to touch the sides of Leo’s face where his ears should be. They were covered in bandages, as well. “Your ears…are they…?”

“Huh?” At last the gesture registered to Leo, and he reached a hand up to his ear as well. “Oh, right…my ears. I guess they were damaged in the explosion or something. But—but it’s okay! I can still imagine all the sounds around me!”

“A-At least he can still speak normally,” Arashi tried. He was looking like he was about to cry, as well.

“But he won’t be able to sing…” Ritsu pointed out somberly. “Listen to him talk right now. His pitch is unstable. And more importantly…”

He couldn’t go on anymore. Leo sat staring at him, uncomprehending.

“Here, Ou-sama,” Tsukasa said, as he hurriedly took out the pen and notebook that he always carried. He flipped past sheets covered with scribbled musical notes until he found a blank page, and shakily wrote down what everyone was thinking.

— _Will you still be able to compose?_

“Ah.” Leo’s eyes widened as he read what was on the paper. “…You know, it’s weird, ‘cause ever since I woke up, it hasn’t even crossed my mind once…” he said, faltering. “Usually I hear music in my head all the time and I can’t wait to write it down—my hands are itching to compose so much that I end up writing on the walls—that hasn’t happened at all today. But I can still compose!” He lurched up suddenly, grabbing onto Tsukasa’s arms. “I’m sure I can! I mean, Beethoven kept composing after he went deaf, right? If I concentrate, I can still remember the melodies of our old songs…So I’m sure I’ll be able to make new ones as well. Hold on—just watch! I’ll make another masterpiece right now!”

He snatched the notebook and pen from Tsukasa and poised to write, the tip of the pen hovering just slightly above the page but never touching it. He remained in that position for a few moments. Nothing came out.

He laughed weakly. “I guess my inspiration hasn’t come to me yet~”

“Ou-sama…” Arashi said, a sad gaze in his eyes. “It’s okay. Don’t force yourself.”

Leo didn’t hear, and continued talking almost to himself. “It’s not the first time, you know. It happened when—when I was abducted by aliens, too. I couldn’t write anything. Sena came around a lot when I was like that…he saw me in that terrible state, but he never gave up on me…That’s right. You guys should ask Sena—he knows…”

His voice trailed off.

“Oh…yeah. Sena isn’t with us anymore…”

And in that moment, he sounded so miserable, so much like a heartbroken child, that Tsukasa couldn’t stand it anymore.

He threw himself onto Leo’s bed and cried, wailed, screamed in anguish. He cried as he saw Leo’s eyes widen and his pen drop in surprise and roll all the way onto the ground and that just made him cry harder. He wept for their senpai who was never coming back, for the shattered illusion of all five of them standing together, for the pages and pages of sheet music that would no longer be completed. He screamed hoping that if he screamed hard enough, the sounds would eventually reach his Leader, but they didn’t, and maybe, he thought, that was for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^ If I got anything factual wrong in this chapter please do tell me... most of it was random factoids I remember from a documentary years ago plus a quick google search so.
> 
> Anyway, I'm taking this case in yet another direction, and I don't want to give away too much but you might get a feel for it if you look over all the Chapter 3s of previous danganronpa games! In terms of complexity though I toned it down a bit, partly because it's stressful for me to write that much content, and partly because I want to put more complex cases toward the endgame. So I'd rate this one between cases 1 and 2 in terms of complexity.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the ride and see you next update!


	16. 3.2 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only now could he enjoy the luxury of having peers next to him, doing the same things as himself, discussing from an equal vantage point—even if just for a fleeting moment, he could live like a normal person again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I am SO sorry this chapter took so long and I feel like I owe you guys an explanation ;_; Recently I've been trying to write while traveling and suffice to say that it hasn't really worked out time management-wise... I probably won't be able to update regularly for a while longer but I am working on the fic whenever I can and will update when a chapter is ready. Please bear with me until I settle down into a fixed schedule again!!
> 
> And no I will never abandon this fic unless dire circumstances apply, since I really really enjoy writing it ;_; Thank you all so much for your continued support, it means a lot to me. With that said, please enjoy the new chapter!
> 
> (and the new event mika... shitshitshitshitshitshit)

As usual, it was way too early when Kirakuma turned on the broadcast and called everyone, _yet again_ , to the gymnasium. Hokuto groaned and turned over in his bed, wondering what in the world the bear wanted this time. He got up, pulled open the curtains, and then promptly closed them again. The sun was shining far too brightly.

It scorched his eyesight, for he no longer had the brightest shining star at his side anymore.

He looked over to the other side of the room, where Subaru’s bed was still there and depressingly empty. It was painful, of course, but it no longer hurt as much as before. The first few days were terrible—there wasn’t a day when he didn’t wake up, realize he was alone, and start crying until his comrades in Trickstar came knocking on his door in concern. But those days gradually passed. Now, he was able to face the still air in the room with a sad smile and a nod.

“I’ll be strong for you, Akehoshi. Anzu, please look over him while he’s there…”

It had been several days since Subaru’s Class Trial had come to an end and the UNDEAD Unit Practice Room was announced. Everything had been surprisingly peaceful in that time—it was as if the bear was intentionally trying to make them drop their guards. Still, Hokuto welcomed the brief respite as an opportunity to rethink the future. Despite what they had lost, Trickstar had to keep moving forward—after all, it was what Subaru had given his life for. Hokuto knew that, so he refused to drown himself in depression.

During these days, he had spoken with Makoto and Mao extensively, and they had proposed wild and crazy theories about where they were, who the mastermind was, what the mastermind was trying to do to them. They had gone through every idea in the book for a way to escape, but most of them were deemed either impossible or too dangerous, whether due to the lack of resources, or because the bear was watching their every move. Still, even when almost every plan was tossed out the window, Hokuto refused to give up. He believed that as long as they tried, they could unravel the mystery of this island eventually.

Although right now, the mystery was what Kirakuma suddenly wanted with them on an early morning. Hokuto was willing to bet the socks his grandma knitted that their peaceful lives were coming to an end.

Indeed, by the time he finally got to the gymnasium, he had to do a double take.

Somehow, Kirakuma had set up the room so that it was lined with rows and rows of classroom tables and chairs, each a short distance away from the others. It would have been familiar to someone who had taken a standardized test in a large exam hall with a hundred other people. Several students were already seated at the desks, which, upon closer examination, each had a blank piece of paper and a pencil on it.

“What do you think all this is about?” Hokuto asked Mao, who had come along with him.

“I have no idea,” Mao said. “This is definitely something new. But I know that if the bear’s doing this, then he only wants one thing—for us to kill each other more quickly.”

They settled down at two of the desks and waited. As more people entered the room, Hokuto caught sight of Leo being wheeled in on a wheelchair by two Kirakumas. It surprised him greatly (for one, he didn’t think the Kirakumas would be so generous—he thought they would just carry him or something); Leo himself was evidently surprised as well, as he kept yelling “Hey! What are you doing? Let me off!” to no avail.

The leader of Knights was wheeled to a table at the back of the room with no chair behind it, evidently designated for him alone. Hokuto squinted and realized that the paper he had was the only one that had a few lines of text on it. It seemed like instructions of some sort.

“Good _morning_ , you lot!” Kirakuma’s familiar greeting resounded across the room, startling him. He turned back to see the bear standing at the front of the gymnasium, a microphone in hand.

“As you can see, I thought things were getting a bit boring lately. So I thought I’d give you lot a pop quiz! I bet you’ve missed those since coming to the island!”

“…Now that he mentions it, I _am_ starting to miss the pop quizzes that Kunugi-sensei gave,” Mao muttered from his spot. “Anything’s better than mutual killing.”

“Oh, but you can rest assured that it won’t be anything too difficult!” the bear continued with a smirk. “After all, I am a generous and kind bear, who hates to see his students in distress. Therefore, the quiz will contain one question only. But you must answer this question very carefully—anything you write will carry heavy consequences, so be warned!”

Hokuto tensed, his guard up. One question meant one shot at—what, exactly? Either way, he couldn’t afford to lose now. He wouldn’t let something as trivial as a pop quiz beat him!

“Is that clear? Are you all ready? Now, here is the question—Write down the name of one person in this room whose talent you admire. One person, no more, no less.”

_—What sort of a question was that?!_

“Feel free to be as honest as you can with this answer, as I’ve separated all of you, so none of you can see what each other have written! In addition, please be reminded that you lot are under test conditions as well, so keep it quiet and don’t talk to your neighbors!” Kirakuma put his hands behind his back and strutted around the room, doing a picture-perfect imitation of a test monitor. “You may begin, little idols.”

Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn’t this—Hokuto’s mind swirled as he tried to get a hold of the situation. Was that it? What was the bear trying to do?

“Er, Kirakuma?” A hand rose in the air, and everyone in the room turned to look at Tomoya, who had just spoken. “What exactly do you mean by ‘talent’?”

“Why, a talent can be anything!” Kirakuma smiled pleasantly. “It may be a talent for song and dance. It may be something else, like physical strength or social charm. It may even be good looks, like mine!” He puffed his chest out. “I’m not a very picky bear.”

“And…we’re limited to the people in this room?” Midori asked hesitantly. 

“Indeed. Only the people here, those who are alive and well.” Kirakuma grinned knowingly at Midori, who shrank back in fear. “Any more questions?”

There were none. Everyone was busy looking down at their papers, deep in thought about their choices. Hokuto, too, took a moment to think—not about who he should write, but about Kirakuma’s reasons for doing this.

Knowing the bear, he certainly had some sort of plot up his sleeve—and there was no way it didn’t pertain to mutual killing somehow. What could he gain by knowing the name of someone they admired? Hokuto asked himself. Could it be—to threaten them? Would he pull a trick like the scandals of last time again? 

The prospect made Hokuto shiver in distaste, but something still didn’t feel right. Would the bear really play the same trick twice? And besides, he already knew everything about them—the scandals proved that. So why would he go to such lengths to ask them this time?

Yet Hokuto could think of no other explanation, so he turned his attention to who to choose. Someone whose talent he admired—that certainly conjured up plenty of names in his mind. But in case this person would be threatened, it’d be best not to choose someone he was too close to, so he crossed Mao and Makoto’s names off the list. Same went for the twins, whom he genuinely admired but couldn’t bear to put in danger. If he was to be completely honest with himself he would have written Subaru—but his sparkling friend was no longer here with them in this room.

Who did that leave? It would have to be Wataru, his club president, Hokuto decided. Certainly he admired him; that person had so many talents that it was harder not to be envious of him. He was a wonderful actor, skilled magician, and charming idol, all at once. He had been something like a mentor to him ever since his first year, and despite finding him annoying at times (perhaps most times), he respected the eccentric performer greatly. He didn’t wish for his buchou to be threatened, of course. But it crossed his mind that even if he didn’t write Wataru’s name, someone else probably would, so it would be hard for him to escape such a fate anyway.

With that justification in mind, Hokuto went ahead and wrote down “Hibiki Wataru” on his paper. He looked up. He was one of the last ones to finish; most of the students had made their choice already and were waiting patiently with their hands folded.

“When you are finished, simply put your pencil and paper down and look up,” Kirakuma instructed. “Very good, very good. I see that everyone is done, yes? Now, please wait silently and motionlessly like good children while I go about collecting your answers. This will only take a moment, so don’t fret!”

Hokuto thought the bear would come round and gather all their papers, but he didn’t. Instead, he spun, and disappeared into the ground just like that.

For a split second he found this confusing and was about to open his mouth and question it, but he didn’t have a chance to. For precisely the next moment, with absolutely no warning, he felt a great weight in his head and his vision suddenly went black and he crumpled to his desk and his consciousness cut

 

\--

 

out.

……

“Huh?”

Hokuto lifted his head. He felt groggy, as if he had just awaken from a long, deep slumber, but a glance at the clock overhead told him that barely any time had passed—in fact, not even a minute, which seemed strange.

What had just happened? Did he pass out? But he looked around him and saw that everyone was pulling themselves up from their desks and rubbing their eyes in tandem. Had they all lost consciousness simultaneously? But _why?_

He looked down, and only then noticed that the test paper that he had written on was now gone. It was likely Kirakuma had drugged them again, he thought—but why do such a thing simply to collect their papers? As he rubbed his head hard and tried to make sense of it all, the dreaded stuffed animal appeared at center stage once again.

“Welcome back, you lot!” Kirakuma yelled, his obnoxiously loud voice waking everyone up fully in an instant. “The answers to the pop quiz have been gathered and put to use. I’m pleased to announce that all of you followed the rules and completed the task satisfactorily—that is, _most_ of you, other than one, but I will let it slide.” He eyed the group of students, but as he was a stuffed animal, it was hard to tell who exactly he was looking at. “Now, as a reward for your excellent behavior, I will bestow upon you a special gift…rather, an opportunity!”

“Ugh…Whenever he says ‘gift’ I know it can’t be anything good,” Kaoru muttered.

“Listen closely, for I am only going to say this once!” Kirakuma continued. “Within the next 48 hours, whenever one student successfully commits a murder, he will _inherit all of the victim’s talents permanently_. That means that if he goes on to succeed during the trial and is able to leave the island…he will be able to _take the victim’s talents out with him_ as if they were his own, and use them however he wishes! Now, isn’t that quite an enticing deal?” The bear cackled.

The students stared at each other in disbelief. Sure, this game was crazy, illogical, surreal at times. But what the bear said just now had utterly crossed the line. This wasn’t a sci-fi or fantasy novel, for God’s sake!

“You’re joking, right?” Hinata spoke up. “You mean _inherit_ , as in take that talent onto myself? How is that even _possible_?”

“Oh, I have my own methods,” Kirakuma smirked. “You don’t need to know about them. But I assure you that the transfer will be genuine! You only need to imagine what it’ll be like when you have grasped that talent in your own hands! The joy! The wonder! Don’t you wish for it?” He spun around in a dramatic pose.

“Scientifically, this does not make any sense,” Keito said. He had his hand on his temple and was looking quite exasperated. “A talent does not ‘transfer’ at the snap of a finger. Even though I have seen enough to question the existence of science within this island…I highly doubt you would be capable of something so absurd. A more likely explanation is—are you bluffing, Kirakuma? Presenting us with a false hope again, in order to get us to kill?”

“No, no, absolutely not!” The bear feigned an innocent expression. “I knew that the, er, technology behind this would be a bit out of your reach, you see. I anticipated your suspicions, heh-heh. That is why I am giving you a chance to test out the effects for yourself!”

“Huh?” Hokuto’s eyes grew wide.

“Within the same 48 hours, _you will have the talent of the person you had just written_. It is yours to use however you wish. Go on—try it out, realize it’s true, and make a mess of things. _By then, you might have fallen in love with the talent so much that you’re willing to commit murder to keep it…!”_

 

\--

 

“I’ve made a mistake,” Hokuto said.

“What do you mean?” Tomoya asked. 

“There are too many Buchous.”

He gestured around them, and Tomoya had to admit that it was true. There were at least five or six Watarus out of all of the students. Within them, Natsume had written the name of his beloved Teacher, and was now fully embracing his new talents, performing elaborate magic tricks much to the delight of his unit members. Same went for Eichi, the Emperor himself, who was positively excited, eyes almost sparkling, as he recited a piece of script with the dramatic flourish trademark of his left-hand man. Even the equally talented Oddball, Rei, was enjoying the chance of acting like his good friend and setting pigeons about the room—except he didn’t use pigeons, but bats instead, and it was a total mystery where he had gotten them from. 

The original performer himself was mixed in between the students, laughing as each of his admirers pestered him to comment on their imitated performances. Somehow, Tomoya had never seen his buchou so happy. He was smiling, genuinely, purely, more like a child than he had ever been before. It must have been lonely at the top, Tomoya realized. Only now could he enjoy the luxury of having peers next to him, doing the same things as himself, discussing from an equal vantage point—even if just for a fleeting moment, he could live like a normal person again.

“Hokuto-kun! Tomoya-kun!” Their club president called out to them cheerfully, waving his arm high in the air. “Wouldn’t my two beloved actors-in-training like to join in on the fun? Who did you write for your talent, I wonder? Even if it weren’t me, you’re already accomplished on the stage! Come now, there’s never been a better opportunity—I want to stage a play with all of us!” 

Hokuto groaned. “I’m regretting my decision already.”

“It’s all right—don’t hide it!” Tomoya coaxed his senpai. “If you have a talent like the Masked Pervert’s now, doesn’t that mean you can act like a prince even more perfectly than before?—I mean, you were already perfect, but now you’ve got to be even better! Please, Hokuto-senpai, will you act like a prince just once? I want to see it!”

He held his breath in excitement as Hokuto rubbed his head and sighed. And then, in one swift, seamless motion, he swooped down on one knee, smiled, and extended a hand toward Tomoya. “Would you care to join me for a dance tonight, Princess?”

“W—Waaaaaah!” Tomoya couldn’t help but let out a shriek.

Hokuto raised his eyebrows, but didn’t break his character. “Are you quite all right? Should I call for a doctor?” he asked.

Tomoya hurried to respond, flustered and out of breath. “N-No, I am fine! Of course—I’d love to dance with you, my Prince!” he forced the words out, and then threw away his character, much too excited to think. “Hokuto-senpai! You were _so cool!_ It was unbelievable—there weren’t any costumes or props or anything, but you just…captured my heart!”

A flurry of applause broke out from the students that were watching them, with Wataru at the lead, causing Tomoya to redden slightly. 

“Is that so? Princess—er, Tomoya,” Hokuto replied. He tapped a finger on his chin. “Strange, once I get into character I can’t quite slip out of it. In fact, I feel like I’m starting to forget who ‘Hokuto-senpai’ is…” He shook his head. “Anyway, you were better than before, too.”

“That’s because I wrote you!” Tomoya said hurriedly. “Because I’d much rather be like you than the Masked Pervert, but in return I don’t have that genius skill.” 

“That’s no reason for concern!” Wataru called out. “My, I’m overflowing with ideas right now—a play! A play it must be! Never has so much talent gathered at once—this is a wondrous gift! We have only 48 hours—we will make it happen!”

As he went on rattling off ideas for plots and characters and scripts, and his followers listened intently, Hokuto smiled. “I think Kirakuma might be regretting his decision right now. He wants to increase hostility, but we’re friendlier than ever now.”

Certainly, that would have been best, but Tomoya wasn’t sure. The last thing that Kirakuma had said still resounded in his mind, making him uneasy. He was overjoyed to become as cool and talented as his Hokuto-senpai, of course. But would he love it enough to want to kill him?

No. Of _course_ not!

As he shook his head hard, his club president received a tap on the shoulder from Natsume. “Wataru nii-SAN. I’m just curious, but whose talent did you reCEIVE?”

Wataru smiled and gave him a wink. “That, I’m afraid, is a secret…♪”

 

\--

 

“Nito-senpai! _Look out!_ ”

Nazuna turned. Makoto was running toward him at full speed, waving something frantically in his hand.

“Whoa! Hold up there!”

As his junior tumbled straight into him, Nazuna reached out a hand and grabbed hold of his arm. His grip was terribly strong and the momentum caused Makoto to swing around in a full circle, finally slowing to a stop in front of Nazuna while his senpai stood steadfast on the ground, without moving an inch.

“N-Nito-senpai?” Makoto stared at him, dumbfounded. “How did you do that? Is this the Nito-senpai that I know?”

Nazuna turned a bit red. “It’s because I wrote Kuro-chin for the quiz. I thought it was nice that he’s so cool and strong, like an actual senpai. I definitely didn’t think that I could get to experience it for myself…”

“That’s amazing, though!” Makoto breathed. “Now that I look carefully, it’s like you’ve grown up on the outside, too! You don’t look so cute and cuddly anymore. It’s sort of weird—it’s like you’re a different person.”

“You’re right,” Nazuna admitted. “It’s hard to get used to. But it’s pretty interesting to look cool and grown-up and be physically strong, if it’s just for two days. I plan to enjoy it while I can!” He laughed. “I probably won’t be able to stay in Ra*bits if I keep looking like this, though.”

“That’s good,” Makoto said. “At least it means you won’t go around killing anyone. That’s always reassuring. —Ah!” He started as if remembering something for the first time. “I was going to tell you! I found a way to get the surveillance system up again!”

“You did?” Nazuna gasped.

“I did! It was after I wrote the Vice President on the quiz,” Makoto explained. “I went straight to the broadcasting room and sat there for a solid hour. I don’t remember ever being so focused in my life. I eventually figured out a way to reroute the live broadcast feed onto our electronic Student IDs—look!” He held up his own ID card, which had been in his hand since the beginning. “I’m displaying the image from Camera 5 right now. It works perfectly, right?”

Nazuna checked the small screen, which showed the image of the very hall they were standing in, giving real-time feedback on their every action. His eyebrows flew up. “Wow, Mako-chin, you really did it! I’m impressed. This means we won’t have to be alone in that room to monitor!”

“Exactly,” Makoto replied. “We’ll be able to monitor on our own, while in safety. It’s a win-win situation, except for one thing—the screen is too small to display more than one live feed, so we can each only watch one place at a time. We also won’t have the option to send out an emergency broadcast.”

“That’s too bad,” Nazuna said. “But this is good enough already. We’ll just focus on the spots that are crucial—the places where you can get weapons, probably. And even if we can’t send out an emergency broadcast, at least we’ll be watching. We’ll know. And that’ll scare off most criminals.”

Makoto nodded. “Seconded. So where should we be watching? The Unit Practice Rooms?”

“Yeah, that, definitely…we haven’t put a camera in that corridor because we couldn’t access it before, but I’ll go add one right now.”

“Where else? The kitchen, maybe?”

“Right. The kitchen is still dangerous…Oh, right.” Nazuna paused, a frown on his face. “Someone should watch the electrical room.”

“The electrical room?”

“To make sure no one cheats by turning off the electricity again,” Nazuna explained. “I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.”

“All right…” Makoto swiped out a notepad and wrote a few things on it. “Then I’ll watch the electrical room. We’ll have to watch everything constantly, though…What will you watch?”

“I’ll watch the Unit Practice Rooms.”

“Then if you just give me your ID card, I can go set it up for you. We’ll need Shinobu-kun’s help, too. He can watch the kitchen.”

“Shinobun…” Nazuna sighed. “I really don’t want to pressure him again, but I guess we can’t really help it. Let’s go find him.”

And as he said that, he caught sight suddenly of something displayed on Makoto’s live feed—an extremely short figure walking at the far end of the hall behind the two of them. The details were too blurry to discern, but there was only one person Nazuna knew who was that tall—

He spun around. “Shinobun? Is that you?”

The figure turned, and it wasn’t Shinobu.

Ruffled brown hair, blue eyes, and—when he opened his mouth to speak—a voice that sounded dreary and depressing. 

“Umm…do you have something to do with me, Nito-senpai?”

Nazuna blinked once, then twice. “ _Midori-chin?_ ”

Indeed, standing before them was the unmistakable Takamine Midori, but shrunk to perhaps eighty percent his original height. He looked somewhat more like a middle schooler. Both Nazuna and Makoto gaped at the now pint-sized first year, who smiled sheepishly.

“Yeah…you’re surprised, aren’t you? I wrote Sengoku-kun’s name on the quiz because I admired how short he was…that really was all. I hated being tall and clunky…Being short is like a dream come true…Ahh, I’m so happy right now…”

Midori looked so genuinely happy as he spoke that Nazuna couldn’t help smiling along with him. Truly, the Midori right now looked adorable, just like one of those mascot characters that he loved so much.

“This is really crazy,” Makoto commented, amused. “I wonder how Kirakuma did it? You can’t just change people’s appearances without warning like that…That only happens in dreams.”

“There’s so much that we don’t know…It would be much better if this was a dream,” Nazuna sighed. “Then we’d wake up, and everyone would still be alive.”

“That would be great—knowing that everything was fake, and we can laugh about it later on.”

“But after laughing about it for a while, we’d be back to the dreary reality with pop quizzes and paperwork waiting for us.”

“And I’d end up even taller from having slept that long,” Midori added. They all laughed, for they knew it wasn’t going to happen.

 

\--

 

Twenty-seven.

That was the number of pieces of paper crumpled into a ball and tossed halfheartedly about the room, a few lines of sheet music still barely visible amidst the wrinkles. Leo had counted. He had nothing better to do, since those twenty-seven were failures and he was now starting on the twenty-eighth, but hadn’t even gotten past the treble clef.

He groaned and laid back in his infirmary bed. The silence that engulfed him at all times was strange and unsettling at first, but now it had become smothering, sucking away the very air that he had to breathe. It had sucked away his ability to compose, too. It wasn’t that he couldn’t still imagine sounds or their harmonies and write them down on paper—it was because something vital, something deep inside him that drove his pen, had gone silent. Like everything else around him, it couldn’t be heard anymore.

But he had to keep composing—what would become of him if he didn’t? His music was the very essence of his being. If there was no Tsukinaga Leo’s music, there might as well be no Tsukinaga Leo.

He picked himself up, scribbled a few notes, and then crumpled up the paper and tossed it away again. There was another one for the bin. It was no use. He longed to place his hands on a piano again and hear the melodies for himself, let the sounds and the music flow deep through his soul and awaken whatever it was that was hibernating inside him. But he couldn’t anymore. He couldn’t even walk to the piano without someone else’s help. His left leg had been badly injured in the explosion, and he could manage to walk on crutches, but the burns on his arms meant he couldn’t go further than just a bit down the hallway.

It was a prison here! He was trapped! No wonder inspiration couldn’t come to him!

It didn’t help, either, that there was an empty space in his heart ever since he had awoken…A space previously occupied by a head of seaweed hair and a sarcastic tone, which would never be filled again.

In the midst of all that, the door to the infirmary opened. Leo didn’t even have to look at the door to know, for the way the shadows on his bed shifted positions meant there was certainly someone coming in. He pulled open the curtain and looked out.

There was the familiar face of the youngest member of Knights, Tsukasa, looking in on him. His mouth opened and he said something, either a greeting or an expression of concern at all the papers on the floor—Leo couldn’t tell which. He smiled brightly and gave him his usual “Ucchuu~!” and relaxed when Tsukasa’s face softened.

Ritsu and Arashi followed Tsukasa into the room, giving him silent nods. They had come here plenty of times ever since their first meeting after he went deaf, and they had accustomed to communicating using gestures and expressions and, at times, the notebook. Right now, Tsukasa was holding the notebook and scribbling furiously in it, looking unusually excited. It made Leo curious, and he leaned in close to see what he was writing.

_—Leader, do you remember Kirakuma’s quiz?_

“Of course I do! Everything was written out on the paper for me, so I did it just the same!”

_—Who did you write?_

“Hmm…You know Mama? The one in the track club? I wrote him because I thought it was cool how he could play so many instruments, and he travels the world and stuff! After I knew that I’d get his talent, I thought maybe I could gain my hearing back and be able to play instruments again…but no such luck! Haha!” Leo gave a lopsided shrug. “It’s not that easy, I guess. The only thing I’ve managed to do is this…” He leaned down and rummaged through the pile of papers on the ground. “—Here!”

He held up a small figurine, constructed with—no doubt—waste paper, expertly folded and stuck together at perfect angles. It was a miniature model of a piano.

At the sight of it, all three of his juniors’ eyes went wide, and Ritsu took it gingerly to admire it on all sides. They all spoke excitedly to each other, and Leo didn’t have to hear to know they were amazed.

“Wahahaha! You see, that Mama’s a bit of a handyman himself—he builds things, including instruments, so it wasn’t too hard for me to make this! That’s just one of his many talents, though!”

Ritsu took over the pen and notebook, and wrote. — _That’s a pretty valuable talent to have._

Leo grinned. “You think? Too bad it’s wasted on me, who can’t even leave my bed. Anyway! Who did you all write?”

Arashi quickly made a gesture motioning between himself and Leo, and then held up one finger while mouthing “same”.

“Ahh! I see! You wrote Mama too! That’s awesome—we read each other’s minds! High five~!”

As Leo and Arashi smacked their palms together, Tsukasa had snatched over the notebook and was writing again. It seems he had grown more and more impatient as they spoke.

_—I wrote you for the quiz, Leader._

Leo looked. “Huh? You did? Because you admired my music? Awh~ you’re such a sweetheart, Suo~!”

_—Yes, and I’ve received your talent. It is simply_ Marvelous _…! I’ve been trying my hand at composing like you. In fact, I finished one of the pieces you left incomplete…Please wait…_

Tsukasa flipped back through the notebook until he arrived at a section covered in sheet music. Half the page was covered in Leo’s messy handwriting, while the other half was continued in a neater, more reserved style.

_—Here, the one you had been writing before being interrupted with the second murder. I believe you had called it “Rhapsody of the Darkness”. I’ve completed it for you!_

“That—I remember! You finished it?”

Leo grabbed the notebook and looked over the notes. And as he read he went very, very still. Yes, he was able to hear them now—each note had a sort of magic to it, causing it to leap off the page and into his imagination. The score was wonderfully composed, exactly like how he would have written it, except for places here and there where it surprised him—and it tasted like himself but even better, like a clever twist in a story. Melodies and rhythms merged and entwined with one another, and he felt that for a split second, that _something_ inside him was awakening again, to a masterpiece. This was a true masterpiece.

He found a lone tear sliding down his cheek.

Raising his head, he looked toward Tsukasa, who looked equal parts excited and worried. He mouthed something, but Leo could only shake his head in return.

“It’s fantastic, Suo~. I don’t even know what else I could say. This is way better than anything I can do…Definitely not now…”

His gaze fell back to the crumpled papers on the floor, and suddenly he understood. This was the talent that had escaped him ever since the world went silent. It hadn’t disappeared. It was still there, it could go on, but it just couldn’t be his anymore.

Tsukasa shook Leo’s shoulder, snapping him back to reality. He was bending down and tilting his head in a way that clearly said _“Are you alright?”_

“I’m okay! In fact, I’m really, really happy right now…Suo~, thank you. You saved me. Please, can I ask you a favor?” He grabbed hold of Tsukasa’s hand and looked at him earnestly. “Please…while you can…write as many songs for Knights as possible! The world needs these masterpieces…they’re the masterpieces that I can’t possibly write right now. But you can do it, Suo~. The new age of Knights will be under your name…Suou Tsukasa.”

Tsukasa looked flustered, and more concerned than ever, but he hurriedly nodded. 

“Thank you! I’ll be counting on you!” Leo pulled his junior into a fierce hug. “And also—can someone go find Mama for me? I want to talk to him about something. Naru, you’re in the same club as him, right? Can you tell him to come over?”

Arashi nodded and gave a thumbs-up.

“Thanks, guys…You guys are the best!” Leo wiped some stray tears out of his eyes. “Go on, then, you all have work to do! Rittsu, I’m counting on you to look after the other two~!”

Ritsu nodded. After waving goodbye to their King, the three junior members of Knights filed out of the room and closed the door.

“I’m worried…Wasn’t he acting a little strange?” Arashi commented after they had walked out a certain distance.

“The inability to compose is probably hurting him,” Ritsu said. “But it looks like he’s gained some new hope. This whole talent fiasco might help him yet.”

“He called my name…” Tsukasa murmured. “He’s barely ever done that before…”

Arashi nodded. “He’s treating you as makeshift composer for now, Tsukasa-chan~! Why, you’ll have to live up to the expectations.”

Tsukasa blushed, and then turned to Ritsu. “Say, Ritsu-senpai, you never got a chance to say who you wrote for the quiz…I’m curious. Who was it?”

“Ah, that.” Ritsu sighed. “Well, it’s a little awkward. I wanted to try beating Kirakuma at his own game, you see. I wanted to see what would happen if I bent the rules a little. So…I wrote Kirakuma.”

“No way! You _did?_ ” Arashi gasped.

“Yeah. It wasn’t against the rules—he was ‘someone in the room’, too.”

“And then? Did anything happen?” Tsukasa pressed him.

“I’m disappointed. Nothing much happened at all, really. That is, except for the fact that this fic has been taking forever to update, and it’s still full of Knights angst as if we haven’t had enough in the last round.”

“…Huh?” Arashi blinked.

“…Never mind. It’s not anything important.” 

 

\--

 

“Top of the morning to you, Leo-san!” Madara called out loudly as he threw open the door to the infirmary, a cheery smile on his face. “Now, when I heard from Arashi-san that you were looking for me, I came running as fast as my legs would take me; but you know, even if you hadn’t called for Mama, Mama would have come to you soon anyway! There’s no need to worry. Oh, but even if I reassure you, you won’t hear, of course. My bad. I’m being silly!”

Leo didn’t wait for him to finish his speech; upon seeing Madara enter the room, he yelled a greeting and stuck out his arms, which Madara happily reciprocated with a hug. He was glad to see that the injured King of Knights looked much more refreshed and energized than before. That was more important than anything.

“Mama~ I’m so glad you came! If it weren’t for you I don’t know what I’d do right now…You know, I’ve been having a hard time writing songs, and everything…”

Madara ruffled Leo’s hair, much to his annoyance. “Now, now, don’t despair! You’re a genius, after all—you’ll figure out some way out of it.”

Leo continued as if he had heard him, or perhaps they were simply on the same wavelength. “See, Mama, I found a way. I realized what I have to do to solve all this. But I’ll really need your help. I’ll go straight into the topic—Can I ask you a huge favor, Mama?”

“Sure!” Madara slapped his chest. “I’d do _anything_ for you, Leo-san. Whether it’s theft, smuggling, or even murder, I’ll cross any borders and break any rules if it’s for you, you know!”

Even though he couldn’t hear him, Madara’s confident smile must have given Leo the confirmation he needed. He let out a breath, seemingly relieved.

“I can sort of guess what you’re saying, Mama…You’re saying that you’ll do anything for me, am I right? You always say that, no matter how dangerous it makes you sound. I love that about you. So, you’ll really do _anything?_ ”

Madara nodded and gave him a double thumbs-up.

“All right then. I’ll take your word for it.”

Leo sat up straight in his bed and looked seriously toward his friend. He hesitated, as if afraid to speak.

“Mama…will you please kill me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have nothing to say other than >:3c


	17. 3.3 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And it was there, in the dark, secluded pathway shielded by trees, in the chilly nighttime air, with just the two of them, that Leo told him everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI IT'S BEEN A WHILE I'm so sorry this chapter took so long. College literally just started for me and life is hectic. But I've finally completed another giant (almost) 10k word chapter!! I probably could have split this, but I wanted to deliver something big to make up for the delay. So here you go.
> 
> Also, HUGE TRIGGER WARNING for the end of this chapter. See the "Graphic Depictions of Violence" tag? That's what it's here for.
> 
> That being said, I highly recommend reading the ending at midnight with the lights off. :)

Four Sakuma Reis had gathered in the Light Music Clubroom. At least, that’s what it would have sounded like to a bypassing listener, enraptured by the expert jazz music and song emanating from inside the room. It was hard to mask the eldest Oddball’s distinct style—refined and relaxed but with a tinge of his former vigor all the same. Kaoru found himself slowing his steps as he approached the door, since he didn’t want to enter abruptly and disrupt the harmony. As he waited, the music went on for a few more beats, and then came to a stop.

“You’re going too fast, Doggie,” Rei’s voice sounded from inside. “Jazz isn’t like rock. If your heart is too wild, you won’t play well.”

“Agh, stop scolding me, you old man!” a rougher voice retorted. “I guess I got your talent, sure, but my personality is still mine! I’m a creature of rock and roll, to the end!”

Laughter flowed across the room, and Kaoru pushed open the door. “Hey~ It looks like you guys are having some fun,” he said.

Two identical faces turned to look at him. “Oh, it’s Hakaze-senpai~!” Hinata called out, waving. He was holding a trumpet, while Yuuta on his right held a saxophone. “Have you come in to see our splendid performance?”

“You are very welcome to join in,” Rei remarked from his position at the piano, “with whatever excellent talent you have managed to snag for yourself, yes? I’d be most embarrassed if it were me, although these youngsters in the room all seem to think that I am worthy of admiration.” He gestured around the room while suppressing a smile.

“Heh! He’s going on and being modest, but you should have seen him when we all came in saying we wrote him,” Koga said, setting down his bass guitar. “He was positively glowing. But Hakaze…senpai, you didn’t really write that vampire bastard, didja? There’s too many of him as it is.”

“No, no, unfortunately, I didn’t write you, Sakuma-san~” Kaoru replied with a wink. “I’d rather admire someone with the talent for charming girls into liking him, see. Anzu-chan had never really liked me this whole year, and thought it was a shame I couldn’t get closer to her…Although it’s too late to be talking about that now.” He smiled halfheartedly. “Anyway, that’s why I wrote your little brother, Ritsu-kun. He seemed to get spoiled by Anzu-chan in every which way—I’m jealous, really~”

“Hmm…My dear Ritsu, indeed…” Rei tapped his chin, considering. “I am still surprised, Kaoru-kun. Did I not get along just as well with the little miss? At least I fared better than you did.” He laughed, then put his hands up in defense as Kaoru glared at him. “Only joking. Now that you mention it, I quite wish I wrote Ritsu as my answer, as well. He is especially talented in all areas, you know, and I would love to possess a small part of him for some time.”

“Is he? I haven’t felt much difference,” Kaoru said. “Other than feeling really sleepy all this time.”

“Knowing him, it is likely you will be alert and feel the effects when night falls,” Rei explained. “Now, have you come for some business? Or shall we perform another song for you?”

“That’s right—Hibiki-kun caught me in the hallway and asked me to bring a message to you,” Kaoru replied. “He wants to invite you to perform in the play that he’s preparing, since you’re one of the people with his talent.”

“A play…” Rei paused for a few moments to think. “Has he any idea what the play would be about? And when it would go on?”

“He says he’s still working on the script, but it’ll be ready soon. I think it’s set for tomorrow evening, which would be the last chance before our talents expire, or something~?”

“Ooh, ooh, a play?” Hinata leaned in on Rei’s left side, wearing a mischievous smile.

“We’ve never seen Sakuma-senpai in a play,” Yuuta echoed, leaning in on his right side.

“What would you be playing? A vampire, maybe? A member of the undead?”

“No, no, Sakuma-senpai should play a vampire hunter—now _that_ would be funny!”

As the twins giggled and smacked their palms together, Rei hefted a sigh as if he was in a dilemma. But Kaoru could tell that the corners of his mouth were twitching, too. “It is quite troubling. I am probably far too old and feeble to be able to act as anything,” he mused.

“Yeah, right,” Koga huffed. “No one’s going to believe that, vampire bastard.”

Rei smiled. “All right—I suppose so. Besides, it would be a shame to waste such a precious talent, wouldn’t it?” He held out his hand, and a black rose appeared magically between his fingertips. He flung it toward Koga, who yelped as he tried to catch it. “It is—pardon me—quite _Amazing_ to experience the world in my friend’s shoes. I might get used to this…Kukuku♪”

He turned back to Kaoru. “Tell Hibiki-kun that I will be there. Or, perhaps I should go inform him myself? You don’t have to be my messenger, Kaoru-kun.”

“Nah, nah, it’s fine.” Kaoru waved cheerily. “I wasn’t going to stay long, anyway. You keep having fun with the kids, Sakuma-san.”

With that, he turned and approached the exit, but just as he reached it the door swung right open, clocking him full in the face.

“—?!!” A muffled sound was all he could make as he tumbled to the ground, disoriented. Heavy footsteps thundered past him with no regard as the unknown intruder stormed into the room and made a beeline for the piano.

_“Rei-san!”_

Rei started, clearly just as surprised as Kaoru at this sudden disruption. “Mikejima-kun?” he asked.

Madara, who was clearly agitated and breathing heavily, presumably from having run all the way here, placed one hand on the piano to steady himself. “Rei-san. There’s something important I have to talk to you about.”

Rei raised his eyebrows. “Well, feel free to—”

“—In _private._ ”

There was a pause. As Kaoru slowly picked himself up from the ground, he could tell that the air in the room had changed. Madara, the man who was capable of anything, was seriously upset. And when that man was upset about something, he smelled of danger. Even the twins had fallen silent now.

Kaoru shakily raised a hand. “Uh~ Sorry to interrupt, but I’m still alive, you know~? You could have killed me with that door. Can I at least get an apology…?”

Madara turned around to look at him, and Kaoru closed his mouth. His classmate’s eyes clearly read “ _Shut up right now or I’ll deal with you first._ ”

He turned back to Rei. “It’s about Leo-san.”

Rei’s expression hardened immediately. He gave a quick nod and stood, pushing back the piano bench with a loud _screech_. “We can step outside the room to speak,” he said, directing Madara to do so. 

They left, and the door slammed shut, leaving Kaoru, Hinata, Yuuta, and Koga in an awkward silence.

“Well,” Kaoru managed a half-smile. “Talk about second-rate treatment.”

Hinata didn’t pay much attention to him; he was inching toward the closed door and pressing an ear against it. There were sounds like a heated argument coming from outside.

“Aniki—” Yuuta called to his brother. “What are you doing?”

“Shh! They’re talking about something really important, aren’t they? I want to know what it is.”

“That’s eavesdropping! Didn’t Mikejima-senpai say it was something private?”

“Yeah, but it’s also gathering information. Did you ever wonder how Sakuma-senpai seems to know everything that happens in the school? It’s not like he has psychic abilities or anything. Ever since I inherited his talent, I’ve realized—he just listens.”

“ _Aniki._ That’s not even—”

“Don’t you want to know what happened to the leader of Knights?”

Yuuta visibly wavered for a few moments, and then swallowed and walked over to the door to join his brother. Kaoru and Koga traded a look. 

It was out of curiosity more than anything, Kaoru would think later on. Curiosity, and the awkwardness of standing in the room with nothing to do, and something else that was prodding him inside, telling him not to underestimate the value of secrets. The voice wasn’t his. He didn’t know who it belonged to, but he decided to listen to it.

He, too, moved to the door and pressed an ear on it. Koga came over and did the same.

He could hear Rei and Madara speaking quite fervently—rather, it was Madara who was the most distressed, and Rei was trying to raise his voice over Madara’s so that he would calm down. The two were whisper-shouting, making it not difficult at all to listen in.

“—Don’t know why, but we have to stop him,” Madara was saying. “I’m afraid that anything I might say would break him. I’m sorry—I didn’t know what to do—I saw that your room was right across from the infirmary, so I just came running for your help.”

“But I don’t understand,” Rei replied, “What made him make a request like that? Does it have something to do with his…condition?”

“You know he hasn’t been able to compose, and that’s broken his heart.”

“Yes.”

“I think—this is how he explained it—he thought his own talent wasn’t of any use to himself anymore. He couldn’t channel it, if you will. And he thinks that his ability to compose—his songs—are more important than his own life. That’s why he wants me to kill him and inherit his talent. _He wants me to pass it on for him._ ”

Kaoru’s breath caught. This was unexpected.

“And what did you say in return?”

“I said no, of course! And you know what he said then? He said he’d kill himself, by hanging himself or biting down on his tongue or smashing his head into the wall, if I didn’t agree! He was serious, too. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” Madara’s voice was trembling.

A beat, as if Rei was considering. “Why did he choose specifically you? Couldn’t he have asked someone else if you disagreed?”

“…He mentioned someone from his unit—Tsukasa-san from the first year, I believe. He said that Tsukasa-san has his talent right now, which is how he got the idea, but he couldn’t bear to let him kill anyone. That and Tsukasa-san probably wouldn’t survive to leave the island, so his talent would still be lost in the end. He said that I was the only one who could do both—kill him and leave.”

A longer pause. “And then? What happened after?”

“I insisted I wouldn’t do it, so he started threatening me. I had to tie his hands to the bedpost with my necktie to make sure he didn’t do anything crazy. But he’s gotten my talent—he’ll wriggle out of it eventually.” A deep sigh. “I’m at a loss, Rei-san. If you bring me some chains from your Unit Practice Room, I can at least chain him up so he wouldn’t try anything crazy until the 48 hours is over—but that might just break him further. Humans are terribly weak creatures.”

“If you chain him, you’ll be making him more vulnerable to anyone else who _does_ want to kill him.” Rei’s voice was calm but stern. “I am sure that Tsukinaga-kun’s talent is in high demand.”

“Damn. You’re right,” Madara said. “It’s not just himself that I have to protect him from.”

“Indeed.” Rei thought awhile before continuing to speak. “This may be a harsh question, Mikejima-kun. But—has it ever crossed your mind once to comply with his request? Did he not express that this is what he wishes for?”

“If it were his genuine desire, I would do it in a heartbeat,” came the reply. “But I don’t believe that he really wants it. Any person who commits suicide unsuccessfully always comes back saying they regretted it.”

“Perhaps he is trying to do this for _your_ sake, Mikejima-kun.”

“For my sake? That’s idiocy right there. Didn’t he see how Anzu-san also gave herself up for the sake of someone else? _Doesn’t he know how much pain that’ll cause?_ ”

Madara’s voice cracked.

The silence that ensued was deafening. It enveloped Kaoru and everything around him and rendered him unable to move. He had tried so hard not to think about her. To push her aside and move on. But hearing Anzu’s name shouted out like this made his carefully sealed heart break back into pieces.

That horrific scene flashed back into his mind again—Anzu, gentle, sweet Anzu, running out from the crowd, tackling Koga. Her soft body landing on the ground, and then being reduced to tatters. All he could see at the time was a splatter of red, and then no more.

Did he have the right to be feeling this way? It wasn’t like he and Anzu ever had a thing together. She had, for the most part, rejected him. But he always knew that Anzu was something special—and it wasn’t just because she was hard to get. She wasn’t simply one of the girls that he’d wanted to date, but rather a girl who he would…“trust”. “rely upon”. Before he’d met her, these words had been foreign to Kaoru.

How ironic that merely days ago, before the killing game began, he had been thinking of their bright futures. He had wanted to see Anzu, the talented producer, grow and become even more beautiful, and he would wait patiently and work hard as an idol until the day he could finally deserve her love. He could still envisage that future even now—but it would only remain a hopeless dream, ever since the bear quite literally shattered it.

Did Anzu know that she would die? Even if she did know, would she still choose to act in the same way—giving up herself for the sake of the idols that she loved?

It took Kaoru a moment to realize that Rei was speaking again.

“I understand your sentiment. The best advice I can give right now is to stay with him. Perhaps you will be able to talk some sense into him.”

“Easier said than done, Rei-san. After I tied him up, he was yelling ‘You meanie! You absolute bully! I don’t want to see you ever again!’ to me as I left.”

—She would still do it. Kaoru knew Anzu well enough to be sure. She would say that it was worth it.

—But _what_ was worth it? Living on a despair-inducing island, watching miserably as the body count only went up, bearing disaster after disaster—was this worth it? Was _this_ what Anzu had given her life for?

“I’m sure that if it’s you, Mikejima-kun, he’ll still accept your company, despite everything that he’s said.”

—And was Leo thinking the same thing—that a bleak life like this wasn’t worth living?

Outside the door, Madara sighed. “I’m still at a loss for what to do, Rei-san.”

“Well, perhaps the first thing we should do is get rid of the eavesdroppers behind the door, as I believe we’ve entertained them for long enough already.”

A pause. “Whoopsie,” said Yuuta.

“…How in the world did you know?” Madara asked with a laugh. “My, there’s still a lot I have to learn from you!”

“Oh, it’s quite obvious,” Rei replied. “Everything’s been entirely silent in the room for the whole duration of our conversation—not a voice, not a sound. Now, that makes it almost certain that the children are up to no good.”

The door swung open, and the vampire was smiling down at them.

“Heh-heh~ Busted,” Hinata said with a coy smile. Kaoru looked away.

 

\--

 

The next day, in the Drama Clubroom.

Wataru’s desk was overflowing with pages and pages of manuscripts, filled with his own miniscule writing, dialogue written in packed rows and stage directions scribbled in the margins. They were the products of a full night without sleep, fueled only by Wataru’s own excitement, but that was more than enough—he hardly felt an ounce of fatigue even now. This must be the fervor that comes with creating art! Ah, how _Amazing!_

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts; it was a knock he was expecting. “Come in~!” he called out lightheartedly, turning to face his visitor with a smile. “Rei, I’ve been waiting for you—”

To his surprise, though, it wasn’t his good friend Rei who was at the door. It was another—equally valued and treasured—friend, with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Why, Shu, it’s such a delight to see you here!☆ Pardon the clutter in my room. Have you decided to participate in my play tonight as well? There are always spots open☆”

The leader of Valkyrie gave a short huff and turned his head to one side. “I am not interested in anything of the sort. Rather, I am here to offer my assistance, if you want to have costumes made. In such a short time frame, I’m quite sure you would need the help.”

“Why, that’s too generous of you!” Wataru exclaimed. “I’ll gladly accept that offer, as I was going to ask you if you hadn’t come anyway…Please, come over and take a look at the script, so you’ll know what you’re making. I’ve completed it just now☆”

“The script?” Shu’s eyes widened. “You’ve written it yourself this time? That’s a surprise.”

“Indeed I have!” Wataru grinned. “It’s a piece of work no lesser than the ones you have written for me, Shu. At least, that is what I hope…Come and see for yourself if you don’t believe me!”

“Hmm…” Shu moved toward the scattered pages sitting atop Wataru’s table. He picked through a few of them until he found the first page. “An adaptation of _Peter Pan_?”

“That is correct~!”

“You certainly do enjoy your fairy tales.” Shu furrowed his brow as he began paging through the manuscript, pausing here and there to scrutinize a particular sentence. By the time he got to the end, he was looking impressed and quite bewildered.

“This is masterfully written,” he said. “I could almost say it has surpassed my skill level in terms of quality. But I thought you said you could never write plays of your own, Wataru. I thought you were always only a performer in someone else’s script.”

“Hmm, yes, how could that be~?” Wataru hummed gleefully. “Oh, Shu, the answer is staring you in the face, but you still haven’t recognized it.”

Shu put down the papers and glared at Wataru suspiciously. “…So I was the one you said you admired.”

“Yes, precisely!” Wataru declared. “Thanks to our dear Kirakuma, I’ve finally got a taste of what it’s like to be a prideful puppet master!” He winked.

“I see,” Shu replied simply. He straightened himself. “Well then, since you have all my capabilities now, I was a fool for coming to offer assistance. I’m sure you’ll be able to manage the costumes yourself…” He turned, ready to leave.

“Oh, no, don’t go just yet~!” Wataru swooped all the way around Shu, opening his arms and blocking his path to the door. “I may have plenty of talent now, but time does not allow me to complete all of this alone…Surely you understand, Shu.” He studied his friend’s face carefully. “Or, could it be that…you are intentionally acting cold because you are displeased? You don’t like for there to be people who surpass you in your own areas of expertise, I suppose?”

“Nothing of the sort,” Shu snapped, but his face turned slightly red.

“Of course, my dearest apologies~☆”

Irritated, Shu turned back to study the script once again. “Have you cast the roles yet? I will need measurements if I am to start making the costumes.”

“That’s right—you’re so attentive to the details.” Wataru joined him at the table. “Let’s see…I’ll be giving the lead role of Peter Pan to Hokuto-kun, a role he is very much suited for. Tomoya-kun will play the role of Wendy. And then let’s put Natsume-kun as Tinker Bell, and…Rei as the menacing Captain Hook. That is, if he eventually comes around saying he’ll participate—I still haven’t heard from him. If he doesn’t, though, I’ll just have to give the role to Eichi, and take out his current role, but that’d be a shame.”

Shu made a face when he heard the Emperor’s name. “Well, don’t expect me to make a costume for _him._ And you shall be…”

“The sea monster that they eventually team up to defeat,” Wataru said proudly. “Imagine—fierce adversaries, each bent on taking the other’s life, forced to stand together to face a common enemy! Isn’t that just fantastic?” He spread his arms with a flourish. A few roses fluttered to the ground.

“…It does not fall within my aesthetic, but it is passable,” Shu said. “This means, at the least, five costumes, correct?”

“Indeed. It may be a bit too much for you alone, Shu, so I can also make a few myself—”

“No need,” Shu replied with a smile. “It just so happens that Kagehira had written my name on the exam and now has full possession of my sewing abilities, so consider our manpower doubled. In addition to that, a bit of help borrowed from Kiryu will suffice.”

“Excellent! I will gather the performers for rehearsal, then!” Wataru beamed, and was about to pick up the roses on the ground and stuff them back into his sleeves, before Shu stopped him with a serious look.

“Wataru.” He hesitated.

“Yes?”

“It is probably not my place to interfere, but…have you been minding your own safety? It worries me to see you so engrossed like this without being wary of those around you. With that amount of admirers, it is not unlikely someone may want your talent, and thus your life.”

“Oh, no, please don’t worry.” Wataru smiled reassuringly. “No one would want to be a silly clown like me.”

“Forget the jokes. This is a serious matter.”

“I am serious,” Wataru replied. “After all, the Broadcasting Committee has informed us yesterday that the surveillance system is up once again, so there shouldn’t be too much cause for concern. They’re a bright bunch; they learn from past mistakes.”

“Even so!” Shu pressed on. “Cameras alone cannot guarantee your safety, Wataru. Modern technology is despicable—it fails us in the most important places, as I inevitably know from experience. I am especially concerned about that Tenshouin Eichi. He admires you a great deal, and he’s attempted murder previously. It will be easy for him to do it again.”

“I understand your concern,” Wataru said without losing his smile. “But I will be alright. I’ve known Eichi for a long time—well, not as long as my fated rival Keito-kun, I suppose—but long enough to understand his actions. He is really just a child that refuses to grow up, like our Peter Pan, who wants to be a main character in his own story…Once you know that, Eichi is not difficult to deal with.”

“Hm.” Shu didn’t attempt saying anything more.

“Compared to myself, I’m more worried for you, Shu. You are also an extraordinarily talented person in all regards. Moreover, you close yourself to interaction with others, so you cannot discern what others feel about you.”

“I will be all right.” Shu cut him off. “With the aid of the talent I’ve received.”

“Oh! That’s right, I hadn’t asked you about it yet! Who did you write~?”

“Kanata. Do you remember? Kanata was the second-last—and the most notoriously difficult—member of the Five Oddballs to be finished by Tenshouin Eichi.”

“Is that the reason you wrote him?”

Shu nodded, and then shivered. “I feel that finally, after all this time, I’ve understood a bit of the power that he holds. And it frightens me, Wataru. It genuinely does.”

 

\--

 

Kanata was lying flopped in the middle of the fountain, blowing a chain of bubbles.

_—It’s lonely here_ , he thought.

_—I miss the ‘aquarium’. I miss the ‘dolphins’…I want to talk to them again._

The sun was shining overhead, but the air wasn’t too hot, and the water was even colder. Kanata wrapped his arms around himself as he tried to preserve his warmth. “You’re gonna get a cold,” Chiaki would always tell him at times like these. “Come out.”

Come out. Come out. Come out.

Kanata didn’t want to. He didn’t want to believe the mirage of Chiaki that had been conjured somehow, when the real one wasn’t even there anymore. It must be a lie. Everything here was a lie.

He clenched his arms tighter and shivered.

“He~ey, Kanata-kun! Are you planning on coming out anytime soon?”

A voice. Kanata sat up and swung his head around to get rid of the water drops. When his vision cleared, he saw Kaoru, wearing a casual smile and waving at him. He was walking toward the fountain from the school building.

“…No. I want to stay here.”

“Suit yourself.” Kaoru sat down on the ledge of the fountain. “I just came here to relax awhile, I guess. It’s a lot more peaceful when you’re around. Much better than staying with those rowdy Light Music Club members.”

Kanata smiled. “You’re always ‘welcome’ here.”

Without continuing the conversation, he lowered himself back into the water. Eyes closed, body limp, the way he floated made him look extremely serene—almost like he were dead.

“Hey, you might laugh at me, but…” Kaoru said suddenly. “Mind if I join you in there, too?”

“Go ‘ahead’.”

A sound of a jacket being pulled off, and then a splash as Kaoru lowered himself into the fountain as well. He let out an embarrassed chuckle.

“I’ve always wanted to try this, but I thought I’d just look stupid. Right now, I’m past caring, though.”

“It’s ‘relaxing’, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…it is. The water’s cold.”

“But not too ‘cold’.”

Kaoru nodded. “Do you think we’re ever going to get out of here?”

“It ‘depends’,” Kanata said. “On whether the ‘fish’ can return to the ‘ocean’.”

“Hmm. I gave up on trying to understand everything you say, anyway,” Kaoru sighed. “But I hope we can go back. There’s still a lot I want to do, you know? I really want to go surfing again.”

“And I want to go to the ‘aquarium’, again…together.”

“If we can get out together, I’d go with you.”

They laid there in silence for a while, and then Kanata turned to realize that Kaoru was dozing off a little.

“Kaoru? Are you ‘tired’?”

Kaoru’s eyes fluttered open. “Oh—sorry. It’s the side effect of the talent I’ve inherited, I guess. I’m super alert at night, but I’m always tired during the day. I might fall asleep any minute. In fact, a little while earlier I completely blanked out—I woke up in my classroom not knowing how I fell asleep. It’s a little creepy.”

“That sounds ‘worrying’…” Kanata said. “Turn ‘around’, so I can look at you.”

“Huh? I’m fine, though—”

With a splash, Kanata reached across the water and turned Kaoru’s face toward him. He looked carefully into the gray-brown eyes for a long while, until Kaoru began to fidget awkwardly.

“…Hey, what’s wrong? Even if it’s you, I don’t like getting too close with a guy, so could you let go of me already…?”

“I did not tell you whose ‘talent’ I received, correct?” Kanata said expressionlessly. “The cute ‘child’ that I know…Nacchan. He has the ‘ability’ to see the ‘future’, and Kaoru…I’m seeing some bad things in yours now.”

“…That’s creepy. ‘Nacchan’ is the one who said he was a fortune teller on the last trial, right? Does fortune telling really exist? …Kanata-kun?”

“There is…‘death’ and ‘destruction’…inside your eyes.”

“Huh?!” Kaoru jerked back.

“I can see ‘images’…of tortured souls.”

“No…No way.” Kaoru trembled. “You’re joking, right…?—No, but you wouldn’t ever make a joke like that, Kanata-kun…What images exactly are you seeing?”

“……” Kanata gazed intensely. The visions that were coming to him were indistinct images, bent, twisted, and distorted as if they were buried in a deep pool, colors and shapes floating along with the restless waves. Kaoru was afraid now, shifting away from him and not meeting his gaze, and that made it even muddier.

“…Blood. A ‘figure’ bound by ‘chains’…Someone ‘hanging’. Painful ‘screams’. A ‘sacrifice’…A horrible ‘sacrifice’…”

_“Shut up!!”_ Kaoru yelled.

Kanata halted.

“I…I don’t believe in any of that bullshit!” Kaoru’s voice was shaking. “I create my own future, don’t I? I’m not going to be afraid of some sort of _prophecy!”_

“Kaoru—” A wave of regret washed over Kanata. “I’m ‘sorry’. I shouldn’t have said those things. Nacchan would ‘scold’ me if he knew—a ‘fortune teller’ does not give away too much too ‘soon’—so please, ‘forget’ them. I may be ‘wrong’, Kaoru.”

Kaoru had already climbed out of the fountain, his whole body dripping with water, shivering in the brisk air. “I won’t believe it.” His eyes were frantic. “This stupid killing game, everything—I’m sick of it. I still have a _life_ to live, you know?”

Kanata wanted to reach out a hand to him, but his friend was already leaving, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the fountain. His long shadow trailed out behind him, begging to stay. Kanata’s hand found the shadow for a moment, before it escaped him.

Chiaki’s voice came back to him, but this time it was ringing out in the distance, on the other side of the ocean. Come out, come out, come out, it said. I’ll be waiting for you.

 

\--

 

“Come one, come all to the wonderful Drama Club (& Associates) Adaptation of _Peter Pan!_ Limited for one night only! There will be no other chance if you miss it! Located in the Auditorium from 8 to 10 PM, and admission is FREE!”

So said the flyer that Tsukasa had eagerly passed on to Leo a short while before dinner. It seems that the whole of Yumenosaki was quite excited about it—it had been too long since anything close to entertaining had happened on the island, so all the idols jumped at the opportunity to attend. At least, that’s what Leo guessed based on the smiles on everyone’s faces. But Leo wasn’t really in the mood for seeing a play.

“Why should I go? I won’t even be able to hear anything. It’ll be like one of those silent movies from the twenties!”

Tsukasa was eager to pick up the pen and do some explaining, of course. — _Hibiki-senpai said he’ll prepare a copy of the script for you, so you can read it as it goes along,_ he wrote.  _That way you won’t miss anything._

“But—I don’t want to see a play. I don’t like plays anyway.”

That was a lie. Of course he wouldn’t say what he was really thinking—that seeing the glorious talents of his friends being put on display would just remind him again of how inadequate he’s become.

At that point, Leo didn’t know that having the Knights members constantly accompany him was actually Madara’s doing; he just knew that for some reason, Ritsu, Arashi, and Tsukasa wouldn’t leave him, and that made things complicated. He didn’t want to tell them what he had told Madara. But he was also getting frantic about finding a way to pass on his talent. The 48-hour time limit would end soon, and there would be no hope after that.

It got worse every time Tsukasa brought in a new song for him, saying proudly that he had written it. Each song outdid the last, and always caused such a burst of emotion inside Leo that he had to work hard to keep it inside. He wanted, more than anything, to keep that sort of talent in the world.

— _Ou-sama, come on, it’ll be fun!_ Arashi took over the notebook and wrote. _It’s not just the Drama Club, but everyone that has their Buchou’s talent, so some of them will be onstage for the first and only time._

“What does that have to do with me?”

Ritsu snatched over the notebook. — _There will probably be no other chance to see Tenshouin Eichi act in a ridiculous show._

“……” Leo considered very, very carefully.

“Fine. I guess…just going won’t hurt.”

 

\--

 

“Welcome, and please take a seat. The show will start in approximately 10 minutes. While you wait, feel free to look over this brochure with details on the plot and characters, and please tell me if you need something to drink.”

The usher standing at the entrance of the auditorium recited his lines expertly, with the air of a seasoned professional. Even his attire matched the situation—a slick black suit that complimented his dark skin, which Rei had somehow found for him at the last minute. That is, the entire task of him acting as usher was a last-minute decision, but with the powers of his senpai and the Drama Club, it managed to work out.

“Hey, Adonis-saaaan!” A voice sounded from behind him, and Adonis turned to see Madara waving at him from the left wing of the stage. “Backstage is almost ready, so can you get everyone to quiet down?”

“Sure,” he replied. “You’ve been working hard on the set, haven’t you? Do you need to take a break? Eat something? I have kebabs with me.”

“Ha-ha, it’s alright, I don’t particularly need to eat meat right now,” Madara laughed. “Besides, I can’t afford to relax here. I’m still operating everything like the curtain and the scene changes and the flying wires. Gotta stay on task!”

Adonis nodded. Madara, like himself, was one of the people pulled into the ensemble as a helper. He had been called upon to build the set, and even though the time was extremely limited, he had managed to assemble parts of old set pieces and do some more tinkering until they had scenes that were presentable. The entire day, he had been holed up backstage, banging away with his tools, so Adonis had barely seen him until now.

For some reason, his buchou looked quite fatigued, and had dark circles under his eyes. It must be because he had been working all day, Adonis thought. He wasn’t the only one—plenty of other people had been gathered to work on the show, including the Broadcasting Committee members at the light and sound booth, the Light Music Club providing live music, and even the Vice President, who had designed the flyers and brochures. Somehow, once Rei stepped in to be a performer, there was suddenly no lack of people interested in helping out.

“Everyone, the show will start soon. Please take your seats quickly and quiet down,” Adonis announced to the crowd.

The clamoring inside the auditorium gradually tapered down to a quiet murmur, and accordingly, the house lights dimmed down. Adonis checked that everyone had arrived, and then turned to close the door behind him. With a soft _clang_ , the last bit of light was blocked out, and the curtains rose.

It was, no doubt, a fantastic show from the very beginning. Adonis didn’t know much about the art of theater, but as he watched duly from his place at the door, even he was swept entirely into the world of Never Land, laughing and crying as the characters did. The play started with Tomoya, dressed as Wendy in her nightgown, alone on stage and pondering the meaning of life until there came a tapping on the window. There was her prince—rather, her Peter Pan—waiting for her, wearing a coy grin and inviting her to the land where children never grow up. Hokuto, normally the serious class president, had morphed into the mischievous child who sprinkled a bit of pixie dust and taught Wendy how to fly.

And they were flying, soaring through the air, leaving London for the magical island. Peter and Wendy were strapped onto wires to perform a spectacular aerial show, in sync with uplifting music from the Light Music Club which garnered applause all through the audience. Then, at the press of a lever from Madara, the gray buildings of London parted to change into the grasses and trees of Never Land, where Tinker Bell was waiting fervently for Peter to arrive.

Natsume, clad in a light green dress and translucent fairy wings, was a near-perfect image of Tinker Bell. Throughout the adventures that they went on, he always had the same feisty smile, and the same adorable pout whenever he saw Wendy get a little too close to Peter. Over time Peter told Wendy more about his story; about how he had escaped from a sorrowful past to come to Never Land, about why he didn’t want to grow up, about the home that he had given to the Lost Boys, who were all children just like him. There was a wistful gaze that came into his eyes from time to time, like he was pondering something that had been lost long ago.

Their peaceful lives were brought to a halt one day when the menacing Captain Hook strikes upon them. When Peter comes back to their small wooden house to find it deserted, Tinker Bell informs him that Wendy had been kidnapped by the pirate himself. Thus the iconic confrontation at sea would commence. Peter meets Captain Hook, faithfully played by Sakuma Rei, on the deck of the ship, and demands Wendy back. Hook claims that as long as Peter returns the precious jewel that he stole from the ship, Wendy would return in one piece.

Peter denies having seen any such jewel, much to Hook’s outrage. A fight then ensues; Peter, swinging on the transparent wires and brandishing a small dagger, spars with the pirate in a spectacular action scene, with slashing and clanging sounds tuned just right from the sound booth adding to the tension. The two seem equally matched—in fact, it seems Peter could be getting the better of Hook—until another character enters the scene, holding Wendy in his arms with a knife to her throat. He calls Peter, and Peter freezes.

He’s a boy—no, a young man, who looks just like Peter, only far older. It was hard, in fact, to tell who was playing him at the start. But once he opens his mouth to speak, there was no mistaking the distinct tone of Tenshouin Eichi. And there, the audience learns of Peter’s long-lost twin brother. Peter had abandoned him and left on his own for Never Land, leaving his twin alone in their horrible household, where he had no choice but to grow up in isolation and despair, eventually joining the pirates for a way to find revenge for the brother who had left him. He envied Peter for staying a child, he said. He would have given anything to be where Peter was right now. But Peter had taken that chance away from him, so now, he wanted nothing but to destroy him.

He was the one who had taken the jewel in order to place the blame on Peter, said the young man. And he would use Wendy as a sacrifice if Peter didn’t give himself up. Peter wavers, and as he wavers, Hook strikes him so that he goes flying into the ocean—where the giant octopus played by Wataru had surfaced, and was stretching out a tentacle to capture its prey. 

Peter cries out, but just as the octopus was about to catch him, Tinker Bell zips past shooting a handful of rocks from a catapult toward the monster, so that it draws back, leaving Peter momentarily alone. At the same time, Wendy bites down on her captor’s hand fiercely and he lets go of her with a shout of pain. She jumps away and Peter swoops down to grab her, pulling her into his arms as they rise into the sky together. Below them, the octopus had begun rocking the pirate ship, which shook more violently with each passing second. The two pirates onboard cling on for their lives as they slide more and more precariously toward the edge of the deck.

In an instant, a tentacle snaps out; a collective gasp can be heard from the audience as it grabs onto Peter’s twin brother and brings him down with it. He struggles and yells in anguish, and Peter, who was on the brink of leaving, hesitates again. What are you waiting for? We have to go save him, Wendy begs. Peter shakes his head. But that person wants me dead—why should I help him? He turns away, and Wendy pleads with him. _Even so, he’s your brother…!_

Finally, convinced at last, Peter turns to face down the sea monster, and Hook joins him in order to save his trusted shipmate. The eyes are the monster’s weak spots, Peter says, taking out his dagger. Hook unsheathes his sword. Both aim true—the sword is thrust into the octopus’s right eye, while the dagger finds its left eye. As the monster reels back, Peter flies down to snatch his brother from its tentacles just before they both disappear under the water.

The battle is won, the monster is conquered, and as everyone finally sits down on the deck to recover, the warm, soft light of the setting sun hints at the play’s final denouement. Not much is said, but one could tell that the two brothers have perhaps forgiven each other, or are at least on their way to doing so. Peter is heartbroken when Wendy says she wants to return to London; it’s where she truly belongs. And the young man looking out into the horizon says he wants to return with her, too. I wish I could stay a child forever, he says, looking at Peter apologetically. But everyone has to grow up at some point.

Before they go, Tinker Bell gives them each a case with a sprinkling of pixie dust—Come back anytime, whenever you don’t feel like growing up, she says. Never Land will welcome you.

And then they’re off, into the sunset. Peter and Hook watch as their two good friends fly far away, into the distance, toward the evening sky. They watch until they cannot see them anymore, and Peter stands to leave. We’ll spar again sometime, he says, grinning toward his old rival. It’ll surely be an adventure.

 

\--

 

“Thank you! Thank you all for coming to our show today!”

By the time Wataru led all the actors back onstage for the curtain call, Adonis felt he had just awoken from a very long dream. The play was magnificent, and the actors were the ones who had brought it to life; every single character was recreated perfectly down to the tiniest detail. So this was what “talent” meant, he thought. The epitome of skill; something that he, himself, could never dream to reach. 

The curtain call ended, the lights came on, and applause continued to resound; he could tell that the play was a smashing success to all the students. The actors thanked the audience again and again. They were overjoyed at the show’s success, and Adonis felt glad along with them. And then, just as he turned to open the doors, an announcement came crackling over the speakers, in a voice so discordant it was startling.

“Good evening, you lot. I’ll cut you some slack this time because the show was pretty entertaining, but Nighttime has already started. The Auditorium is off-limits during Nighttime, so hustle and get yourselves out of here as soon as possible!”

A collective groan flowed from the audience, clearly because Kirakuma’s voice had pulled them back into the dark, despairing reality of the island and the killing game. The students began to leave, and Adonis stayed faithfully by the door, seeing through his job to the end. He smiled politely at all the guests, bidding them good night.

Leo was the last of the students to exit, being pushed through the door by Ritsu on his wheelchair. It was quite difficult getting the wheelchair down the steps, and Adonis reached out a hand. “Let me help you with that.”

“Thanks,” Ritsu said as Adonis took the front of the wheelchair and the two worked together to carry the wheelchair down.

“I could take it from here,” Adonis offered. “I’ll escort your Leader to the infirmary, if you wish. You should go with your friends back to the dorms quickly, since the night is unsafe.”

“Eh~? I can protect myself,” Ritsu said, but didn’t turn down the offer. “Hey, Ou-sama, is it okay if I leave you here? He’ll take you to the infirmary,” He said while making a series of gestures to make himself understood.

“It’s okay, Rittsu~ You’ve worked hard enough already. I’ll be fine! Good night, sleep tight~!” His leader replied cheerfully, waving.

Ritsu waved back, and then walked in the direction of the dorms. Adonis pushed the wheelchair in the direction of the school building, making way for the infirmary. The night was dark and silent; the sound of wind rustling through trees made everything seem just a little eerie. Soon, they made a turn, and then the sound of all the other students’ chatter faded out completely. They were alone.

Adonis thought about what might be lurking in the darkness, and then he thought about being strong, and then he thought about meat. That’s right, he was hungry again. He’d stop by the cafeteria on the way back.

“Hey, um, I don’t really remember your name—sorry for that,” Leo suddenly turned to Adonis, breaking his train of thought. “But I know you’re one of the second years, and I remember you’re pretty strong…am I right?”

Adonis nodded. He wasn’t sure where this was going, but it was a polite thing to reply, so he did.

“So, ah, you know I compose music, right? It’s kind of the only thing I’m known for. You could say it’s my ‘talent’.”

Adonis nodded.

“Right. Hmm, I like the looks of you. You look pretty reliable. So I’m going to ask you something, okay? …You know, recently, I haven’t been able to compose anymore……”

And it was there, in the dark, secluded pathway shielded by trees, in the chilly nighttime air, with just the two of them, that Leo told him everything, and Adonis listened.

 

\--

 

Kanata found Shu standing alone in the corridor of the dormitory, seemingly engaged in thought.

He gave him a light tap on the shoulder. “Shu.”

“Hm? Oh, Kanata. It is late, you know. Do you have some business with me?”

Kanata didn’t answer directly, but smiled and motioned toward the door that Shu was standing in front of. “All of the ‘performers’ are having a ‘cast party’ in Wataru’s ‘dorm’, aren’t they? Did you wish you could ‘join’ them?”

Shu hmphed. “…No. I am not interested in such common frivolities.”

Behind the door, there was music being played, and plenty of laughter and banter. Kanata was quite sure he could hear the sound of one too many pigeons flying about the room.

“Really? Then why are you staying in front of their ‘door’?” he prodded. 

“I just had a few things on my mind. …I did not come here to be bothered by your remarks, Kanata; I will return to my room now, if there is nothing else you need.”

Cold as usual, Kanata smiled. He put out a hand to stop his friend. “Wait, Shu.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve gotten my ‘talent’, haven’t you?”

“……” Shu hesitated before responding. “How did you know?”

“I can ‘sense’ it…I can ‘speak’ with you in a way that I hadn’t been able to ‘before’.”

“Is that so,” Shu replied, contemplating. “Your true ability has eluded me for a long time, Kanata. I’m not certain I understand it completely even now.”

“I ‘know’,” Kanata said. “If ‘possible’, I would just like for you not to tell anyone ‘else’ about it. Let this be a ‘secret’ between the two of us, alright?”

“It doesn’t matter with me. I’ll keep the secret if that’s my good friend’s wish. But…there are some things I’d like to ask you, if you’re willing to tell me.”

“I don’t ‘mind’,” Kanata smiled. “We can go to one of our ‘rooms’ to talk about it.”

Shu looked surprised. “I didn’t mean you needed to tell me now. It is fine if we wait until tomorrow…”

“Now is ‘good’,” Kanata interrupted him. “After all, our ‘friends’ Rei and Wataru and Nacchan are all ‘having fun’ together. The two of us shouldn’t be ‘lonely’, either, right?”

“That was not my intention, but I suppose not.”

“Hehe~ Then tonight will be a relaxing ‘break’ between all the ‘despair’. A time for old friends to…‘hang out’?”

“Ugh! Such an unrefined term,” Shu scolded.

“‘Pass some time’…?” Kanata tried again. Shu made a face that said “slightly better”.

They ended up spending their time together in Shu’s room, for Shu assured Kanata that Mika had already went to sleep and would not overhear their conversation. They spoke for some long hours about everything that came to mind—both were not typically very talkative, and it had been a long time since they had last spoken like this. Little by little, Kanata explained his “talent”, how he had gotten it, and the truth about his family. Shu listened in polite fascination without interrupting. Afterwards, he asked a few questions, but decided not to venture forth regarding the topics he couldn’t understand. Kanata was glad for that.

They spoke at more length afterwards, about everything—the killing game, their past and their future, what they wished for. Neither of them placed much hope in escaping the island themselves. Kanata was content as long as the “children” were safe, while Shu would be satisfied when he sees Eichi’s downfall—and, though he refused to mention it again, “I would not want to see Kagehira die, either.”

They spoke about the play, and how impressed they were by it—certainly the most amazing part of it was seeing so _much_ talent at once, a stage full of geniuses like Wataru, yet each performed a little differently. Even Tomoya, being the sole performer without Wataru’s talent, was able to hold up to the standard. Eichi was another surprise to them—“Despite everything I despise about him, I must admit that he acted perfectly,” Shu said—and somehow, his health had been momentarily restored as well, so he had managed the performance through to the end. It was wonderful, Kanata said, that the bear’s shenanigans could amount to something meaningful, and Shu agreed.

By the time they finished their long talk, it was nearly one in the morning, and both were feeling tired. Kanata waved goodnight to Shu as he left for his own room, which was just one door down. The hallway was quiet; the party noises coming from Wataru’s room seemed to have died down in the time that he and Shu had been talking. 

He pushed open the door to his room gingerly, expecting to see his roommate, Kaoru, fast asleep on the other bed. But once he could see clearly in the darkness, he realized that the room was empty. Kaoru was missing.

Surely, it wasn’t too much a cause for concern—perhaps he had just gone to spend the night in a friend’s room or something. But suddenly, the visions that Kanata had seen that day came flowing back into him. _Blood. Painful screams._ His breath accelerated. _A chained figure. Someone hanging._ There it was—the feeling of foreboding. _A sacrifice._

Kanata exited the room sharply and started making his way down the hall. Then, upon second thought, he turned back, found Shu’s room again and knocked on the door.

“Who is it? For heavens’ sake, it’s late,” an annoyed voice sounded from inside.

“Shu, could you open the door, please?”

His tone must have been urgent enough, for after just a short pause, his friend swung the door open. “What’s wrong? Did you forget something?” Shu asked.

“My ‘roommate’, Kaoru, has gone ‘missing’,” Kanata said. “I’m ‘afraid’ that something bad might happen to him…I’m sorry for making a ‘request’ like this, but could you come with me to look for him…?”

“Kaoru? The one in our class?” Shu frowned. “Why would he be a cause of concern to you?”

“I’ve seen ‘visions’…” Kanata hesitated. “Because of Nacchan’s ‘talent’. They ‘foretold’ terrible things about him. The ‘time limit’ isn’t over yet…I’m ‘worried’, Shu.”

The leader of Valkyrie seemed to contemplate the situation at length, with a level of unease. After a while, he let out a sigh and gave a brisk nod. “I will accompany you. But ask no more of me than that.”

Kanata was relieved. “Thank you…I’m really ‘glad’ you’re my friend.”

Shu didn’t say much, only muttered under his breath as they began walking, “It’s times like these that I _really_ wish Mademoiselle were here with me.”

 

\--

 

They had checked the places that were most plausible—the cafeteria and the grounds, even looking inside the gym for good measure, and found nothing. So now they were making their way back down the path and approaching the main school building. It towered before them like a castle against the rigid air, silent and unmoving. 

It was hard to search for one person within the entire school, Kanata thought. It was like trying to catch one “fish” in the entire “ocean”.

They entered the western school building first, walking along empty corridors and identical closed doors. The lights in the halls were on, but the lights in the classrooms were not, so behind every door there was only pitch darkness. Every door seemed to stare down at them, watching them suspiciously as they moved past. Kanata called Kaoru’s name a couple of times, but got no answer.

“The bear…Kirakuma said he would lock the classrooms at nighttime, correct?” Shu pointed out. “So it’s unlikely anyone is here. The clubrooms and that sort are still open, though, and most are on the other side of the school.”

Kanata nodded. “That’s a good ‘point’.”

They changed course and walked through the underpass to the eastern side. The temperature seemed to drop even more with every step they took; it was strange, Kanata thought. Was Yumenosaki Academy supposed to be this cold?

They stepped into another empty corridor, and Kanata called out again. “Kaoru? Please ‘answer’ me if you’re there.”

And suddenly, a door on the far side of the corridor cracked open a tiny bit. “Is that you, Kanata-kun…?” Kaoru’s voice sounded.

“Kaoru! We’ve been ‘looking’ for you. What are you ‘doing’ here?”

Kanata walked closer, and could see Kaoru’s head poking out a little from the dark room. It was the Light Music Clubroom, he recognized.

“I was looking for my jacket. I probably left it somewhere during the day, and it’s too cold to sleep without it,” Kaoru explained.

Kanata nodded. “It _is_ ‘cold’.”

“Oh, wait, Kanata-kun,” Kaoru said, “Seeing you reminds me. Maybe I left it at the fountain? I’m still checking in here, so could you help me take a look real quick…?”

Kanata paused to think, but he couldn’t quite remember whether Kaoru had his jacket or not when he was with him at the fountain. Anyway, he was here, which was the most important thing, so he relaxed a bit. “I can go ‘look’ for you. Shu, do you want to ‘come’?”

“I’d rather return,” Shu replied, “But I said I would accompany you, so I will.”

Kanata nodded. “Stay there until we come ‘back’, then, Kaoru,” he said.

“Gotcha,” Kaoru said, and retreated into the room.

Kanata and Shu ran quickly out of the building and onto the courtyard, and on the way, Kanata noted the clock on the wall—almost 1:30 AM, he realized. It was certainly late. But when they finally reached the fountain, and Kanata inspected all around the fountain and its surroundings carefully, there was no jacket to be seen.

“It’s not ‘here’,” he said.

“Then it is somewhere else, and we should tell him,” Shu concluded. Kanata could tell that his friend was getting a bit annoyed at the search mission.

“…All right,” Kanata said, but something felt strange to him. The sense of foreboding grew stronger. He made another loop around the fountain just in case, before giving up.

They turned and retraced their steps to the eastern school building, and reentered the corridor where they had just been. “Kaoru?” Kanata called. “It’s not at the ‘fountain’.”

No response.

“Kaoru?”

He walked slowly until he was standing in front of the Light Music Clubroom. The door was open a crack. The inside was dark. No sound from within.

“I told him to ‘stay’ here…”

Kanata pushed open the door and they walked inside. He felt along the wall until he found a light switch.

He turned the lights on. A moment of blindness, and then vision.

A split second later, Shu screamed.

“Shu?!”

His friend was trembling, face drained of color, a hand over his mouth as he stared at what had been revealed in front of them. Of course, because Shu was weak against blood. And there was blood.

Directly before them, his vision had sprung to life. A mutilated corpse was chained to the wall in the position of a cross, arms spread, legs standing straight. It was covered in blood still dripping from its neck. And at its feet was a severed head. _Its own_ head. A head with slightly long, blonde hair.

Hakaze Kaoru’s head.

Kanata was not a normal person. He had seen and known of far more drowned bodies than the typical high schooler in his lifetime. Yet even he struggled to contain a scream as he took in the terror before him.

_No—No way—just a few “minutes” ago—_

And as he looked closely, he saw there was something painted in blood on the wall behind Kaoru. A series of symbols of some sort…

Musical notes.

Kanata’s head snapped around. For the first time, he noticed the other thing in the room. A few feet away from him, Rei’s coffin had been dragged out into the center of the room, and it had been propped open.

With trembling steps, Kanata made his way over to the coffin.

_The most surefire way to kill a vampire is—_

Tsukinaga Leo was lying inside the coffin, eyes closed, face almost serene, the only sign that he was no longer alive being the metal stake that was pierced straight through his chest.

His hands were gathered at his stomach, where he had somehow gathered a blanket of roses, fully covering his abdomen and spilling down his sides, each of them blood-red, like the color that stained his uniform.

Kanata cried soundlessly, and crumpled to the ground.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure a few of you want to kill me for the ending now, but just wait till this case is over and you'll want to kill me even more (cries)
> 
> I'm taking a gothic horror angle this time, if you haven't noticed, and the case IS pretty convoluted, so I'd be really impressed if anyone could guess correctly even after the investigation. Still, feel free to go wild right now and take your guesses. It might be easier to guess now without all the information :)
> 
> Two more notes - 1) The play wasn't actually meant to be this important. I was going to just mention it in passing but ended up getting inspired and expanding it, so...treat it as an extra tidbit, I guess. 2) Kanata's mysterious nature still hasn't been revealed in canon so I've kept it ambiguous, but I'm pretty sure there's something deeper in him. Only a future Kanata event will tell though.
> 
> Finally: I'm really sorry for not updating regularly and I want to try settling back into a schedule again, so I'm going to try updating biweekly starting now. Soft deadline for every other Wednesday. I can't guarantee I'll stick to it but I'll try my best! Thanks for everything and see you next chapter!!


	18. 3.4 Abnormal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was reading aloud passages that struck him, to himself, or to everyone, or to no one—it didn’t matter; as long as he was alive and still breathing he was at the center of a stage, and he would perform.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi and I finally made my deadline!!!!! (in my timezone anyway!!) I think biweekly updates are a good pace for me so I'll stick to it for a while. There's a lot going on this case, so have fun with the investigation and don't be afraid to go wild with guesses :D
> 
> ALSO THE FIVE ODDBALLS SONG + ART KILLED ME

No one likes getting woken up by an announcement at 1:45 AM. Especially not when the announcement was about a dead body.

That’s why Ritsu anticipated Mao’s reaction quite well when the body discovery announcement rang through the air. The red-haired boy groaned, turned over in his bed, and then—as the sound of Kirakuma’s voice finally filtered through to his half-asleep brain—jolted upright, eyes wide as saucers as he stared at the speakers, and then at Ritsu, and then at the speakers again.

“No…No way…” he said. “Another murder?”

“Seems like it,” Ritsu replied. Although he remained calm on the surface, the broadcast had taken him by surprise as well. He leapt down from his bed swiftly and cracked the door open, checking the hallway outside carefully. Several students had already come out from their rooms, confused and frightened, whispering amongst themselves, eyeing one another in nervous suspicion. 

Mao was fully awake now, joining him at the door. Ritsu stretched out a hand and grabbed hold tightly of his childhood friend. “Stay with me, Maa-kun. We have to figure out who died.”

“Got it,” Mao said. He was trying to sound brave, but his voice was trembling.

They stepped out into the hallway, where everyone was scattered about, unsure of what to do. Ritsu did a quick head count—it seems all the first floor residents were here and unharmed. He was about to move towards the second floor when someone came crashing down the stairs, panting and out of breath.

“Everyone! Stay calm, and don’t move!” The person called out. Ritsu had to focus for a few moments before he realized who it was—the scaled-up version of Nazuna. The leader of Ra*bits was currently standing steadfast in the middle of the hallway, his hardened features emanating an air of strength. He was holding up his student ID card, eyes focused on its contents.

“We’ve all heard the announcement. I’m going through the broadcast feed from all the cameras right now, so we can locate the scene of the crime quickly, and then move there as a group. Don’t go off on your own—it’s dangerous if you do.” 

“Nito-senpai, camera 9!” A voice sounded out. It was Makoto, who was following close behind Nazuna and held his own ID card in his hands. “It’s the first floor hallway of the eastern school building. There are two people…Shinkai-senpai and Itsuki-senpai, I think?”

“Dead or alive?” Nazuna asked curtly.

“Alive. They’re right where the infirmary is,” Makoto said. “I didn’t see any other people, so we should probably go check on them.”

“The infirmary?” Ritsu drew in a breath. “Ou-sama…”

“Let’s go, then! There’s no time to waste!” Nazuna declared, leading the way outside. Ritsu couldn’t help but think he looked like a warrior going off to battle.

They made their way through the dark night and chilly air to the main school building, and entered the first-floor corridor. Immediately, he could see Kanata and Shu sitting on the far side of the hallway, quite clearly distressed. Shu was seated back to the wall, head down, with his hands clasped over his face; Kanata was bent over him worriedly, saying something to him. Both looked up in surprise when they saw Nazuna approaching with the group in tow.

“Is everything okay? What happened?” Nazuna called out.

Kanata stood up swiftly to face them. “Nazuna. Thank you for ‘coming’,” he said softly. “A ‘murder’ has occurred…Two people have been ‘killed’.”

_“Two?”_ Nazuna gasped.

Kanata nodded, and then turned his face slightly away. “It happened in the ‘Light Music Clubroom’. Please…be ‘prepared’ if you are to go in and look. It is a ‘horrible’ sight.”

Nazuna moved toward the room, and then hesitated and looked back. “Um…Is Itsuki okay?” he asked, looking toward Shu, who was still sitting on the ground. His face was deathly white; he hadn’t said a word since Nazuna and the others came.

“He’s had a little bit of a ‘shock’. I’ve taken him outside to ‘recover’, but I don’t know if—”

“Oshi-san? ‘s Oshi-san okay?” A frantic voice came from the crowd. It was Mika, pushing past all the other students and sprinting toward his mentor. He squatted down, laying his hands on Shu’s shoulders, studying his face closely. “No—He’s seen blood, hasn’t he? Oshi-san is real bad with that sorta thing…We have t’ get him somewhere where he can rest!”

“I-I am fine.” Shu tried, weakly, to push Mika away.

“No, you’re not!” Mika insisted. He looked up toward Kanata. “I’ll take care of Oshi-san, so you guys go an’ investigate, alright?”

—Ritsu’s heart was pounding. If he had heard right, two people had died, and he still hadn’t seen Leo anywhere. He had a fairly good guess by now of what had happened, but he didn’t want to believe it. No, he would have to see it first to believe it.

He let go of Mao’s hand. “Stay here.”

“Huh? Ritsu?”

He ignored Mao and moved forward. He didn’t pause, didn’t allow himself any chance to think before he shoved open the door to the Light Music Clubroom and walked inside.

The smell of blood, fully permeating the air, hit him first. One wall of the clubroom seemingly splashed in red. Ritsu frowned as he took in the grisly sight of a headless corpse, chained to the wall in some sort of twisted crucifixion pose. He was about to panic for a moment, because he didn’t know who it was, until he saw the head on the ground.

…Not Ou-sama.

He averted his eyes swiftly to recover from the shock. It was fine; he was a vampire, he could handle some blood. But, Kanata had said there were two victims.

He carefully approached the coffin lying in the middle of the room, and this time, for some reason, he knew. He was sure. So he wasn’t shaken when he saw the orange-haired boy lying motionlessly inside. No emotion crossed his face as all as he laid eyes on his leader’s thin body, drained of life, no longer smiling and shouting like he had always been, but instead frozen in time like a statue, or a porcelain doll.

A stake through the heart—the death of a vampire. Why, of all the ways he could die, did it have to be that? Ritsu felt it mocking him. He could almost see himself lying in the coffin, in his leader’s place, the way it should have been—the stake was an end for a creature of the night, not someone like Leo. Leo belonged to the light.

Already there was a commotion outside, probably because Kanata had revealed what he saw in the room—everyone was shouting out in panic, and within them, Ritsu heard a very familiar voice.

_“No—No way—Leader has—?!”_

It was Tsukasa, his horrified voice ringing above all the others. Of course he wouldn’t be able to take it. Ritsu stood reflexively and rushed to the door, blocking it just as his junior was about to come inside.

“Ritsu-senpai!”

“Don’t come in here. It’s too terrible for you to see.”

“But—is Leader—is he—really _dead?_ ” Tsukasa was on the verge of tears, barely breathing out the last word before choking on it.

Ritsu nodded silently.

“ _No!_ First Sena-senpai, and now Leader…It-It’s too much…” Tsukasa plunged into Ritsu’s arms, sobbing.

“Ritsu-chan.” A delicate but calm voice sounded, and Arashi stepped up behind Tsukasa, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let us go in and see. At the very least, we have to bid our Ou-sama goodbye…right?”

“I—I want to say goodbye to Leader, too!” Tsukasa looked up pleadingly.

“……” After a moment’s pause, Ritsu relented and stepped to one side to let his unitmates pass through. Both gasped audibly upon seeing the bloody state of the room.

_“Jesus Christ!”_ Tsukasa murmured under his breath.

“I told you it wasn’t pretty,” Ritsu said. He stood at one side, silently watching as Tsukasa and Arashi approached the coffin. He winced as he heard Tsukasa’s cry of misery upon seeing his motionless, dead Leader; and then the _thump_ from his knees hitting the ground. He was kneeling there, next to the coffin, crying for Leo, Arashi staying silently by his side. And then, suddenly, Tsukasa pulled out his notebook and began to scribble fervently.

“Suu-chan? What are you doing?”

“I-I don’t know. It’s just that—suddenly… _inspiration_ hit me,” Tsukasa said with a trembling voice. In between sobs that dampened his paper, he was scribbling lines and lines of musical notes so quickly that they were simply a blur on the page. “The loss of someone I loved…the thought that I wasn’t able to protect him…I hadn’t ever felt it so strongly. The music is flowing into me…it’s terrible. It breaks my heart. But I have to write it down,” he choked. “Because Leader told me to compose as much as I can, with his talent…He called my name and gave that wish to me! So—so I have to compose. What’s coming to me now is _him_ , every bit of memory of him, everything I’m feeling as I see him here, his life, his spirit…I have to keep him here, before he’s gone forever…”

As he composed he was still crying, but he wasn’t aware anymore; his hand smudged a tear and turned it into a musical note, and then another. Ritsu felt his face and realized that his eyes were wet, too.

There would be no need to burden the reader with more details about the misery that Knights endured in the room that day, Ritsu thought. Suffice to say that the death of one important senpai after another utterly shattered something within the heart of Knights, something strangely echoing of their dark past, with the bitter taste of blood and sacrifices and partings after a lost war. At the time it was Leo who had been broken; but as Ritsu gazed for longer upon the ethereal figure lying amidst a blanket of roses, he realized that his leader was not broken anymore. He had, upon shattering all of those who cared about him, finally been made whole again.

 

\--

 

This is bad, Koga thought.

He was standing in the Light Music Clubroom with Rei, Adonis, and…Kaoru, if what was left of him could still be considered Kaoru. To sum things up, a unit member had just died, _they_ looked like the most suspicious ones for the murder, and instead of worrying about their own predicament, the stupid vampire bastard was consoling a friend.

Madara had come in around the same time as them, hollering Leo’s name. Koga had never seen the big, strong festival guy in such a state before. Upon laying eyes on the inside of the coffin he had completely broken down, slamming his fist on the ground and cursing himself.

“No—no—this shouldn’t have happened—it was my fault! _It was all my fault!_ I should’ve protected you better, Leo-san…I was going to do everything I could to make sure you were safe! I would have done anything within my power!—But I failed…Why, why for one second did I think to take my mind off you? Why didn’t I realize what might happen?” Madara’s entire body convulsed as he sobbed loudly. 

Rei was at his side, trying to pull him away from the coffin. “No, it is not your fault, Mikejima-kun. None of us could have foreseen that.”

Madara wasn’t listening. He went on, speaking to Leo alone. “You got mad at me for not granting your wish, didn’t you? And then you went and got yourself killed for that, didn’t you? …It was my fault…I always do nothing but break the people I love…First Anzu-san, then Chiaki-san, and now you—I’ve lost everyone. I thought at least I would try to protect you until the end—but I couldn’t. I couldn’t protect anyone.”

“ _Mikejima-kun._ Please stop saying such nonsense. It is not your fault—it is the fault of the killer, and the killer alone. Surely you know that.” Rei’s voice was growing more forceful with each syllable.

“Yes—but if only I did something _different_ —”

“Do you not think that I am also distressed over Kaoru-kun’s death?” Rei snapped suddenly, and Madara froze.

“Do you not think that I feel regret as well? Do you not think I also wish that I had done something differently so that he would not die? Perhaps I could have checked on him before forgetting about everything and attending the cast party, yes? Would that have saved him? Do you not think that I grieve for him too, for he was always my trusted partner onstage, and our future as UNDEAD together has thus been shattered? Yet there’s no use wishing for these things—what’s happened has happened, and we have only the killer to blame.” Rei gritted his teeth as he spoke. “That is why right now, the most important thing is to investigate. We must find the killer, and lay upon him the punishment he deserves. _That_ is the person you should be directing your anger to, Mikejima-kun. It is not yourself.”

Madara was silent for a while, but finally, he nodded. “You’re right, Rei-san. I’m just being an idiot right now…I’ll help you all investigate. And when we figure out who the killer is, I’ll _personally_ make sure that bastard gets what he deserves.”

“Of course.” Rei helped Madara up with a smile. “Your help is greatly appreciated. Now, since the children of Knights are looking over the body of their leader, we will be focusing on our Kaoru-kun here,” Rei said, moving to stand in front of Kaoru’s corpse. He had regained his composure, and didn’t flinch as he looked directly at the bloody scene and took it all in. “Doggie, Adonis-kun. Will you two join me, or do you need a while to recover?”

“I’m fine with it,” Koga said, in a voice that came out more high-pitched than he’d intended.

“I will help you in any way I can,” Adonis nodded.

“Thank you.” Rei started by inspecting Kaoru’s entire body once over, from neck to toe. (The head was left alone for the most part by all three of them, possibly because it seemed too morbid even for a vampire to pick it up and examine it.) His body was strung up by gleaming silver chains, looped around two stakes affixed to the wall, holding him up in the shape of a cross. Although he was covered in blood, he seemed to be unharmed other than the decapitation; there were no signs of a struggle, as Madara rolled up his sleeves to check for bruises and found none. His white shirt was still properly on, but he was missing his jacket.

“Hey, vampire bastard,” Koga nudged his senior, anxious to discuss something that had been on his mind for a while already. “The chains and stuff are from our Unit Practice Room, right? I saw them in there before. How are we supposed to explain this? It’s not like one of _us_ did it…right?”

“I have noticed as well. Indeed, although we need to revisit the Practice Room to be sure, there is no other place where I have seen these objects,” Rei replied. He paused before continuing. “…I cannot explain the presence of these weapons either. The only thing I can say now is to place trust in your unit members…as I will in the both of you. For the sake of investigation, I will ask you two now—did either of you take anything out of the Practice Room at any time?”

“No way,” Koga snapped.

“I have not,” Adonis said resolutely.

“Nor have I,” Rei concluded. “Thus, we will take these testimonies as true until proven otherwise.” He breathed deeply, and Koga felt as if his senpai had aged ten years in that moment alone. “This is a terrible game that thrives on mistrust and strives to break us apart. Please, do not give in to it. But do not let emotion cloud your judgment when the time comes, either. We have been made weak, thrown into chaos, suffered the loss of a member…” Pause. “UNDEAD is going through harsh times. I wonder if we will live long enough to see the end of this cruel, sadistic game of theirs.”

His gaze was distant as he said that, like he was speaking to himself but also someone else not there in the room with them. Rei was in pain, Koga realized, and that was more terrifying than anything. His fearless, strong Sakuma-senpai had been torn apart by everything that had happened that night.

 

\--

 

“All right,” Rei said simply. “We have two important questions.”

“What questions?” Koga asked. 

Koga had to admit, the speed at which his senpai had recovered was astonishing. In fact, all it had taken was Ritsu, who was silently watching in a corner of the room, to come to him and say “My Onii-chan should be stronger than that.”—and Rei had sprung fully back to life, jumping toward his little brother and chasing him all the way out of the room and then back. Now he was the annoying vampire bastard again.

“There are two points of suspicion that I noticed. First of all, clearly, Kaoru-kun’s head has been cut off. But _where is the weapon used to cut off the head?”_

Koga hadn’t thought of that, but his senpai was right. There was no bladed weapon in sight, but certainly _something_ had been used to cut off the head.

“Second, Tsukinaga-kun was spending the night in the infirmary, which explains why he is here, across the hall. But _what was Kaoru-kun doing out here in the dead of night?”_

Another good point. “…Maybe he was called out by the killer, like in the first murder?” Adonis suggested.

“Hmm.” Rei thought for a moment and proceeded to reach a hand in Kaoru’s pockets to fish for clues. The results were disappointing. His right pocket was empty, while his left pocket carried only his student ID card. If they were hoping for a note from the killer, there wasn’t any.

“We’ll investigate his room later,” Rei decided, “but I highly doubt that is the case. Kaoru-kun had inherited Ritsu’s talent, after all—he would not be so gullible.”

“I would _certainly_ agree!” A loud voice suddenly cackled, causing them all to jump. “Your precious Ritsu-kun is one of the sneakier ones, I’d say!”

Koga turned to see none other than Kirakuma standing in the doorway, wearing a vicious grin. Goddamn it, he hated that bear’s guts. “Whaddaya want?” he snarled at him.

“Oh, don’t mind me, I just came to appreciate the view~!” Kirakuma declared. He spread his little arms. “Isn’t it just a wondrous sight? It’s been a while since I saw something as brutal as this one. Whoever did it, I’m starting to like you already.” He giggled freakishly. “Not to mention, he’s committed our very first _double murder!”_

“Double murder…” Madara repeated, his eyes fierce.

“You mean, the same person killed both of them, correct?” Rei took a step forward, his brows furrowed. 

“Why, yes. Thought that’d be convenient for you lot to know. Heh-heh-heh!”

“Hey, bastard, where are the Kirakuma Files?” Koga pushed past his senpai and glared at the bear. “They’re late. Have you delivered them yet?”

“Yes, indeed, I was just getting there,” Kirakuma smiled. “Unfortunately, even though there are two victims this time, the number of Kirakuma Files I can supply to you are constant. Therefore, you will only get _one_ file. However, you have the liberty to choose whose file you want! That’s why I have come to ask for your choice!” 

“That’s not fair!” Koga snapped. “We have two murders, so we should get double the information, right?!”

The bear shrugged. “You aren’t the one making the rules here, so whatever you say is useless. Now, hurry up and choose.”

“Choose…” Rei tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Shouldn’t this be something we discussed with the entire group?”

“No—when you look at it, it’s pretty clear who we should choose,” Madara stepped in. “Kanata-san said he knew the range of time in which Kaoru-san was killed, and it’s pretty clear _how_ he was killed too…” He gestured toward the corpse. “So we just need information on Leo-san’s death.”

“Hmm. I’m not sure how much of that is reason and how much is your own bias,” Rei said, “but it makes sense. We’ll take Tsukinaga-kun’s file.”

“Excellent! The file will be delivered shortly,” Kirakuma smiled widely. “Thus, my role here is done. Please don’t hesitate to call on my humble self again if you need assistance of any sort~!” He bowed mockingly, and then disappeared into thin air.

“Ugh, that bear’s fuckin’ annoying,” Koga complained, and then a _ping_ came from his pocket. It seems Kirakuma, despite being annoying, had kept his word.

He took out his student ID card and clicked on the file, and Rei and Adonis came to join him. A full-body silhouette of Leo popped onto the screen, in a pose uncannily like how he was placed in the coffin. There was a red splotch right in the center of his chest, but also another streak of red where his hands were held at his stomach.

“Victim is Tsukinaga Leo. Impaled in chest by sharp object, died of immediate heart failure. Time of death is…12:30 AM.” Koga read aloud.

“The time is over one hour ago,” Rei remarked. “From his death to Kaoru-kun’s eventual murder…I wonder what happened in between.”

Adonis reached out to point on a spot on the screen. “Sakuma-senpai. Does this show he was stabbed twice?” he asked.

Rei scrutinized the extra streak of red near Leo’s stomach. “I suppose. It’s strange, though—the killer chose to disguise this wound, covering it with roses so that we did not notice it earlier. Was this deliberate? But for what purpose?”

No one had a good answer, so Rei promptly turned toward the door, gesturing for his unitmates to follow. “I think our work is approximately finished here—there are a few more locations that I’d like to check, if you don’t mind coming with me.”

“What places?” asked Koga.

“First of all, the infirmary, directly across from this room. Since Tsukinaga-kun was staying there for the night, it’s highly likely that something has happened there. Then, the Unit Practice Room, and Kaoru-kun’s bedroom.”

“You guys go on,” Madara said. “I want to stay in here with Leo-san a little longer.”

Rei nodded. “Take care, then.” 

He led Adonis and Koga out of the Light Music Clubroom, slipped past the crowd outside, and pushed open the door to the infirmary. A gust of cold air greeted them, as well as a pair of surprised gazes.

Mika and Shu were in the room, sitting at the front table. The tall third-year automatically frowned at the sound of their entry, but relaxed when he saw who it was. “You’ve come to investigate, I suppose?” he asked Rei.

“Yes. Have you been doing all right? I heard you suffered a shock when discovering the bodies,” Rei gave his friend a nod.

Shu shook his head. “It was nothing.” He still looked pale, but had revived reasonably in the time that they had been investigating, enough to steadily sip a cup of warm water.

“Oshi-san can’t stand seein’ blood,” Mika piped up. “That’s why he almost passed out when he saw the corpse. He’s been keeping it from ya ‘cause he didn’ want people to think he was weak…”

_“Kagehira.”_

“’m sorry!” Mika dipped his head down frantically. “That is, aah…I was goin’ to let Oshi-san rest on the beds, but one of ‘em had blood on it so that was a no-go. So we’re restin’ here.”

“A bed had blood on it?” Rei tensed immediately, stepping toward the beds on the far side of the room shielded by curtains. He pulled the curtains aside and sure enough, the bed closest to them had a striking red splotch in the middle of it.

“I’m sure you’ve also come to the conclusion that Tsukinaga was impaled on his bed,” Shu said without turning to look at them. “Most likely, he was moved to the Light Music Clubroom afterwards.”

“Indeed. Doggie, could you please take a picture of the evidence for me?” Rei asked. Koga hmphed and proceeded to do so. He handed the ID card to Rei, and the vampire flipped back and forth between the photo and the Kirakuma Files, comparing them. Eventually he nodded, seemingly having come to some satisfactory conclusion. He then turned back to Shu.

“Itsuki-kun. I wonder if you may have an answer to a question that’s been troubling us?”

Shu raised an eyebrow. “Speak.”

“If a killer has inflicted a wound, for example, but chooses to disguise it…cover it up, hide it, deliberately make it unnoticeable in the final presentation of the body, what might be his motive for doing so? What might it say about the killer?” Rei’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

The puppet master folded his hands on the table, deliberating the question fully before opening his mouth to answer. “An artist cannot stand imperfection. Here, the murder is the work of art—the murderer has taken care to dress it, to present it like so.” He spoke with confidence, his haughty, prideful tone seeping back and getting stronger as he went on. “Thus, anything that is removed, hidden, taken from the line of sight is unwanted. They are wayward misses, failures, things not intended but irreversible; things that clash with the artist’s vision, strike a discordant tone in the harmony, and bring him pain simply to see it. In short, my friend…”

“…they are things that taint something very, very precious.”

 

\--

 

“So,” Keito said as he carefully made a few notes in his notepad, “you say you saw Hakaze at around 1:30 AM, at which time he was still alive, and directed you to look for his jacket. Then, you returned to find him dead?”

“Yes.” Kanata nodded.

“Approximately how long was the interval in which you left him?”

Kanata tilted his head to think. “I think…maybe ten ‘minutes’? No ‘more’ than that.”

“Did you notice anyone or anything suspicious during the entirety of your search?”

“No…”

“I see.” Keito made another note, then snapped his notepad shut and sighed. “Well, that seems to be about it for now. You may go, but please speak to me if you remember anything of importance.”

“Understood,” Kanata nodded respectfully, and proceeded to drift down the hall languidly, in no hurry to get anywhere.

This time, the Vice President had diligently tasked himself with the job of gathering testimonies and alibis, as was essential in any murder case. Unfortunately, nothing he had found so far was very conclusive. The events of the murder appeared to be utterly muddled when told from Kanata and Shu’s point of view, and it had happened in the middle of the night, so everyone else he had spoken to was asleep—or said they were asleep—at that point.

“Next up is…Hibiki,” Keito muttered to himself. “There are quite a few things I’d like to ask him—”

_“Keito-kuuuuun!!”_ An anguished cry resounded down the hallway, and Keito turned around, startled, to find Tsumugi barreling toward him, his face flooded with tears.

“Aoba?!”

“Keito-kun, it’s terrible, it’s teeeeerible!” Tsumugi wailed, grabbing onto Keito firmly and shaking him. “Please, y-you have to come see this!”

“What is it, Aoba? Calm down. What happened?” Keito demanded. He could feel his own pulse rising—had he discovered something dangerous? God forbid—another victim?

“J-Just come with me!” Tsumugi cried, taking Keito’s arm and pulling him forcefully back the way he came. Keito, already alarmed, ran along with him.

The sprinted all the way down the hall through to the other side of the school building, where they entered the reference room, and then took another flight of stairs down to—Keito recognized it now—the underground archives. Both were panting by the time they got there.

“Look, Keito-kun, over there!” Tsumugi pointed hastily toward a corner of the room.

Keito looked. There, where he was pointing, was a wreckage—in the most literal sense of the term. An entire bookshelf had been upheaved, and not only were all the books scattered about the ground in a huge mound, the shelf itself had been completely taken apart, too. The dismembered pieces of wood were tossed carelessly about the pile, giving no indication that they had once been whole.

“But what—what is the meaning of this?” Keito asked, astonished. 

“I don’t know—but there’s more. Look.”

Tsumugi rushed forward to the pile and grabbed one at random from the pile. It was a large, dusty book, with ornate decorations, and it had a striking image of a sinister monster on its cover. Keito knew enough about Western religion to tell that it was a drawing of Satan.

“The books on this shelf are all related to religion, magic, and the supernatural. Whoever did this picked _this shelf_ on purpose—I’m sure of it. They’re trying to tell us something, aren’t they? The way the corpses were found in the Light Music Clubroom—it’s almost like—”

“—The murderer did this?” Keito finished for him.

Cold sweat ran down his back as he said it. He remembered the pose Kaoru was held in and the stake through Leo’s heart. It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. But what in the world was the murderer trying to _do?_

“When did you discover this?” he asked Tsumugi.

“Just now, before I came to you…Everything was still fine yesterday afternoon, when I had been here…”

“ _Tch._ ” Keito whipped out his ID card and took a photo of the wreckage, then moved around it and took a few more photos, making sure to capture it on all sides. He then knelt down and inspected the broken pieces of wood carefully.

“Strange…”

“What’s strange?” Tsumugi knelt down beside him.

“See here,” Keito pointed to one wooden board. “The screws had been taken out on this end, so the board is relatively intact. However, on the other end, the edge is rough and split in several places, as if it had been hacked apart using brute force.”

“Hmm…it’s true that the bookshelves here are of pretty low quality,” Tsumugi pointed out. “These are the underground archives, so we rarely have maintenance on them…It’s probably easier for someone to just hack it apart.”

“I suppose,” Keito said, still feeling like something was nagging at the back of his mind. But even when he focused hard and tried to pinpoint it, it eluded him, so he finally gave up.

He stood, surveying the room one more time. “There is nothing I can conclude right now, Aoba. We’ll have to piece it together during the trial. In the meantime, I plan to continue investigating.”

Tsumugi nodded slightly, eyes still downcast. “But—what am I supposed to do with all these books?” he sighed. “It’s such a shame…I’ll have to find a new space for them and organize them all over again. How could anyone be so cruel to the books?”

Keito frowned, as he never realized why Tsumugi had been so frantic when he came running to him for help. It had nothing to do with the murder. It was simply about the books.

 

\--

 

_“Stars are beautiful, but they may not take an active part in anything, they must just look on forever. It is a punishment put on them for something they did so long ago that no star now knows what it was. So the older ones have become glassy-eyed and seldom speak, but the little ones still wonder.”_

Wataru looked up, at the stars. They shimmered against the backdrop of the night sky, saying nothing. Perhaps the stars had seen everything that had happened, but of course they would not tell.

He was standing in the courtyard, beside the fountain, reading from a copy of _Peter Pan_. It was a book that he had perused many times as he drafted his play. He was reading aloud passages that struck him, to himself, or to everyone, or to no one—it didn’t matter; as long as he was alive and still breathing he was at the center of a stage, and he would perform. 

“Hibiki.”

Wataru turned. “Ah, Keito-kun. The moonlight is beautiful tonight, is it not?”

Keito didn’t bother to respond. “I have a few questions I’d like to ask you.”

“Why, go ahead, ask away~”

“Just a few things that are relevant to the case.” Keito took out pen and notepad in a no-nonsense attitude. “First, regarding the movements of the drama cast from after the play until the occurrence of the murder. I know you had a cast party, but can you inform me of the details?”

“Certainly,” Wataru nodded. “After the show ended, all of the actors had gathered backstage, and we walked back to the dormitory together. On the way I suggested having a cast party, and everyone agreed, so we all went to my dorm. The party went on till about midnight, I suppose.”

Keito made a few notes. “And where did everyone go after the party?”

“Most returned straight to their dorms, I would presume! I didn’t check on all them as they went, of course. I can only say that Eichi and I remained in the room, and we both fell asleep quite quickly after that!☆”

“I see.” Keito tapped his pen on his chin in a way that looked so pedantic it made Wataru want to laugh, but he tried not to. “Secondly, I would like to confirm something. The weapons used in the play—the sword and dagger—were they real, or props?”

“Oh, no, of course they were props! The drama club would have been shut down long ago if we used real weapons in our shows.”

“Is that so? They looked very real, though.”

“That is because of our dedication to quality~☆”

“You wouldn’t mind, then, if I went to check and make sure? I apologize for being paranoid—there are just a few things I need to be completely certain of.”

“No, not at all.” Wataru bowed courteously. “I can escort you backstage, if you like. You can investigate all you want.”

“That’d be great.”

Wataru led him into the auditorium and all the way across the stage into the backstage area. The auditorium should have been closed at nighttime, but it seems that Kirakuma had reopened all areas during the investigation period for their sake. It was dark, so he turned on a dim light, illuminating the area.

Set pieces and props and costumes were lying around, and Wataru directed Keito to watch his step to avoid tripping. They stepped over a large piece of cardboard chiseled into the shape of the London skyline, several harnesses that the actors were wearing beneath their clothes as they flew connected to the wires, and a few of Madara’s tools still scattered around.

“Here is the box with all the props~!” Wataru announced, dragging out a box from beneath a shelf. “The ‘weapons’ you were looking for are probably in here…Aha!”

He pulled out the sword and dagger used in the show, and handed them to Keito. Keito looked them over.

“I see…They’re made of metal, but their edges are rounded so that they cannot hurt anyone. These are interesting toys, Hibiki. Good to see what you’ve been doing with the drama club’s funds.” He eyed Wataru, who laughed aloud. “Now, I’ll just take a picture as evidence, and we’ll be done here…”

—But just as he pulled out his student ID card, there came a flapping of wings, and something flew straight across the room, attacking Keito. No, not him—as he cried out, trying to bat the thing away, it clasped its claws around the student ID in his hands and flew away with it.

“What—?!”

“Oh dear, was that one of my pigeons?” Wataru looked genuinely surprised. “Had I left one in here by mistake? An amateur slip, I apologize!” He let out a shrill whistle, and the white-feathered bird diligently returned, the ID card still clutched firmly in its claws.

“Now, now. You aren’t going anywhere,” Wataru said as he gently pried the ID card from the pigeon’s grasp and let it perch on his finger. “But it’s strange that I would…hmm?”

As he looked at the pigeon more closely, he was taken aback for a moment. Wataru knew his pigeons very well, and this one tugged on one of his memories, something he had nearly forgotten during all the chaos on the island. But could this be the—

Keito annoyingly snatched the ID card back from him. “I’ve had enough of your antics for the night. Let’s get the investigation over with, and you can play with your birds all you want after the trial.” He snapped a quick photo and turned to the door. “ _If_ we survive the trial,” he added without humor.

“My dear Keito-kun, were you not entertained?” Wataru quickly rejoined him with a bright smile. “I am deeply sorry if that’s so. Should I perform a trick especially for you to make up for it?”

“No.”

They stepped out of the back door of the auditorium into the crisp air of the night. Keito shivered a bit, and Wataru, too, felt the chill.

“But please allow me to! I will spread love and surprises whether you wish for it or not! Now, shall I conjure up something strange…? I wonder…?”

“Please spare me.”

“Oh!” Wataru yelled suddenly, pointing at a spot not far off from them. “My, what’s that?”

“I told you I don’t want your tricks, Hibiki.”

“No, I am serious—”

“What part of ‘no’ do you not get—”

“This is not a trick, Keito-kun. Look.”

Frowning, Keito looked in the direction Wataru was pointing, and his eyes grew wide as well. About ten meters away from them, in a spot shielded nicely in the shadow of the western school building, there was an eerie purple light. Something flickering and dancing, vivid like something not from this world.

The two third-years ran closer to the light, and as they approached it they realized it was a fire. A fire burning with an unnatural purple flame, hot, but smokeless. Clearly man-made, as it was feeding off a pile of splintered wood and other burnt debris, already mostly unrecognizable.

In an instant, Wataru caught a glimpse of a piece of blue fabric.

Without thinking, he reached out— _quick, nimble movements, a magician’s sleight of hand_ —and snatched the fabric away from the flame, throwing it on the ground immediately and stamping out the fire with one foot.

It was a piece of blue cloth, no doubt, and an edge of it was stained in red.

“Hibiki.”

He turned. Keito was holding up something he had found discarded next to the fire. It was a large, rusty butcher’s knife, covered in blood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It didn't end with the announcement that investigation is over but yeah, investigation is over. Have fun working with the new information!! :D
> 
> ALSO: Public opinion survey. Since this fic is becoming sort of a big project (I'm looking at about 8 cases in total?), would you guys like it if I made a twitter acc specifically for this fic? I could post updates on my progress, discussions of previous cases, and announcements when a chapter has to be postponed (probably very often).
> 
> alternatively you can always find me at @Quella_xx (please come talk to me I need more enstars x dr friends ;_;)


	19. 3.5 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But if something had happened at that time…if his own slip led to Leo being placed in a dangerous situation…then he would never forgive himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry for missing my deadline by one day, life has been hectic!! But here is the first part of the trial!!! This has been the most complex thing I've ever written, so much that I had to split the trial into THREE CHAPTERS. So the murderer will NOT be revealed this chapter! However, I will try to get the next two chapters out more quickly if possible.
> 
> Warning that this chapter contains long, winding, complicated logic. I tried to explain things as best I could and cover all possibilities, but if there's anything you're confused about, please tell me and I'll clarify it.
> 
> ALSO!! The official twitter account is now live at @dr_es_despair !! Go and follow it for announcements and ramblings!!

The stage this time wasn’t decorated. It was left alone, with all the set pieces and props left over from the Drama Club’s play adorning its background, and a clearing in the center for the ring of platforms. Walking into the auditorium, Arashi had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had barely noticed, until he found himself standing right in front of a bush carved from cardboard. It was strange, as Kirakuma had always set up the stage in memory of the latest victim, but this time, perhaps because there were two, he seemed unable to decide.

Either way, Arashi was thankful. If he came in to find a brilliant stage reminiscent of his fallen King, he might just burst into tears again.

The air was heavy as all the students found their places around the circle. This was their third time already; the fear and indignation that was always present in the previous trials had faded into a sort of acceptance and dread. Their numbers were dwindling, and Arashi duly noted the three new monochrome photos, each crossed out in bright red. The “X” over Izumi’s face formed the shape of two swords, crossed over each other; and on top of Leo’s photo, there was a strange shape like an “S” with a line through it. Arashi would later learn from Tsukasa that it was a musical symbol called the _Segno_.

“Welcome, little idols, to your third and most exciting Class Trial yet!” A voice cackled from the audience seats. Kirakuma was there once again, popcorn in hand, grinning widely. “Yes, a _double murder!_ Isn’t that utterly thrilling! I certainly wonder if you’ll be able to solve this one—you lot have me on the edge of my seat! Ha!”

“We’ll find the murderer,” Madara said, locking eyes with the bear so fiercely that he seemed ready to spit in its face. “For Leo-san.”

The bear grinned wider. “Well, then, I _greatly_ anticipate your performance!”

Madara turned toward the circle, his expression hardened. “All right. No use waiting around, so let’s get this started. First, let’s pool all our evidence. Can everyone bring out what they found during the investigation?” 

After a quick glance around the circle, Rei nodded. “Allow me to start, then. UNDEAD has taken the task of surveying the conditions of Kaoru-kun’s death. Doggie, you have taken photos, yes?”

“You didn’t even ask me, but I have. Here y’go,” Koga replied, tossing his ID card over to Rei impatiently. His senior caught it expertly in one hand.

“Thank you. I understand that several of you have not entered the room after being given the warning. Allow these images to serve as a substitution for what you have not seen.” Rei passed the ID card down the circle. “As you can see, Kaoru-kun was decapitated, and strung up in a cross position using chains and stakes. We have found no other signs of injury.”

“Rei-chin, these chains and stakes…” Nazuna frowned upon seeing the image, looking up at Rei in suspicion.

“Yes, indeed, we have confirmed that they are from the UNDEAD Practice Room,” Rei said in a grave tone. “If you flip through the photos, you will find pictures of identical weapons we found in the Practice Room, so there seems to be no doubt about that.”

“But—then this means—UNDEAD were the ones who—?!” Souma lurched forward, shocked.

“No, no, be at peace, Souma-san,” Madara interjected. “It is still too early for a conclusion. I don’t want to suspect my good friend, Rei, either, but UNDEAD will have a lot of explaining to do!” He smiled confidently. “Now, what more did you find?”

“There was a stain of blood found on one of the beds in the infirmary, presumably Tsukinaga-kun’s,” Rei said. “Photos are included of this as well. I think it is plausible to think that Tsukinaga-kun was stabbed on his bed, while he was unable to defend himself. Furthermore, we have investigated Kaoru-kun’s room as well, but we did not find anything of significance.”

“…All right,” Keito said after Rei had concluded. “Then I shall carry on from here. I have gathered most of the students’ alibis, as well as composed a rough timeline of the events of tonight, in the time that we were given.”

Rei nodded. “Please go on, Hasumi-kun.”

Keito took out a small notepad and adjusted his glasses seriously, then cleared his throat. He pretended not to hear the small chuckle from Eichi.

“10:00 PM, the play ends, all students return to the dorm, Otogari takes Tsukinaga to the infirmary. The cast party begins in Hibiki’s dorm. Nighttime starts; the auditorium and all classrooms are cleared and locked. Shinkai and Itsuki go to Itsuki’s room.”

“12:00 AM, midnight. The cast party ends; all cast members return to their rooms to sleep.”

“12:30 AM, according to the Kirakuma Files, Tsukinaga is killed.”

“1:00 AM, Shinkai returns to his room to find Hakaze missing. He and Itsuki leave to investigate where he has gone.”

“1:30 AM, Shinkai and Itsuki see Hakaze in the Light Music Clubroom from a distance. Hakaze tells them that he is ‘looking for his jacket, as it is too cold to sleep without it’. He asks Shinkai to check near the fountain. Shinkai and Itsuki oblige.”

“1:40 AM, Shinkai confirms the jacket is not at the fountain and returns with Itsuki.”

“1:45 AM, both Hakaze and Tsukinaga are found dead, body discovery announcement is sent out.”

Keito turned a few pages in his notepad. “Everyone I questioned other than Shinkai and Itsuki, regarding their whereabouts at 12:30 AM and between 1:30 and 1:40 AM, have stated that they were in their dorms, sleeping. There is, of course, no good way to prove this.”

“So no one has an alibi?” Tomoya asked, dismayed.

“No one—that is, other than Itsuki and Shinkai, who were together at the time of Hakaze’s murder.” Keito pushed up his glasses.

Eichi nodded sympathetically toward him. “Thanks for all your hard work. The murderer has picked an inconvenient time to strike, so—”

“Wait, there’s more,” Keito said bluntly. “When Hibiki and I were investigating near the back of the auditorium, we came across something extremely peculiar.”

The room quieted. “What is it?” Mao asked nervously.

“A fire burning with an abnormal purple flame, among a mound of wood and other debris, hidden away behind the western school building.” Keito held up his ID card, where he had taken a photo of their discovery. The students leaned in to look, all quite baffled at what it might mean.

“Not only that, next to the fire, we have found a large butcher’s knife, stained in blood,” Keito continued, flipping to another photo. “Hibiki had found something as well, I believe…”

“Yes! Please behold, my audience—3, 2, 1, _Amazing!”_ Wataru flipped his hand, and the piece of blue fabric magically appeared between his fingers. It was quite scorched, but still clearly the same shade of blue as the Yumenosaki Academy uniform, with a dark red stain on one edge.

The circle broke out into a flurry of nervous, confused whispers, trying to make sense of all that had been presented so far. Within the commotion, someone let out a cry of shock. It was Hinata, who was holding the ID card that displayed all the pictures from UNDEAD’s investigation.

“I—I thought so! The purple fire and the butcher’s knife—they’re both from the UNDEAD Practice Room, aren’t they?” he yelled, holding out the card to the circle. “Look here, in the picture of the Practice Room—the candles are all burning with a purple flame, aren’t they? And it looks like one of the candles is missing—it was snatched from the wall!”

“You’re right, de gozaru!” Shinobu commented, his face white with fear. “C-Could this be the murderer trying to get rid of evidence? That’s such a sly and cunning act, de gozaru!”

“It looks like we’ve found the weapon that’s been used to cut off the head, as well,” Rei nodded.

“I wonder how they made the fire purple?” Tsumugi wondered out loud. “I’d never seen it before. It’s such a pretty color.”

“Not the point here, senPAI,” Natsume snapped at him.

“Guys, guys,” Arashi clapped his hands together, looking a little impatient. “All of this—when we put it together, it really points to one thing, doesn’t it? Based on what we’ve seen, the killer obtained _all_ of his tools from the UNDEAD Practice Room. So there’s no doubting it—the killer _has_ to be a member of UNDEAD, right?”

“Hey, wait, hold up!” Koga yelled. “Don’t jump to a conclusion like that! Just because we’re vicious onstage doesn’t mean we’re actually murderers, okay? Besides, why the hell would we kill _a member of our own unit?!”_

“You might not have _set out_ to kill a member of your unit…” Ritsu said calmly, fixing Koga with a piercing stare.

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If a murderer sets out to kill someone, but someone else discovers them in the middle of the act…what would he do? Even if that person were his best friend in the world…he would kill them so the secret wouldn’t be let out, right? Because if he didn’t, all that’s waiting for him would be death.” Ritsu smiled darkly.

“That’s—no—” Koga sputtered, his face red.

“It’s pretty clear what’s happened when you look at it,” Ritsu went on languidly. “Clear as water. Ou-sama was the killer’s original target. He’d already killed him and was finishing the job—moving him in the coffin, adding the roses, and whatnot. And there, suddenly, poor Kaoru-kun walks in the door. He sees everything~ So the killer has to get rid of him right then and there. Isn’t that right?”

“Why are you so sure it’s that and not the other way around?” Koga snapped.

Ritsu laughed. “It’s obvious, isn’t it? Do I have to spell it out word by word? Ou-sama is a genius composer. There are probably hundreds of people who would want his talent. His talent is almost a guarantee on the path to stardom…while on the other hand, does Kaoru-kun have any special talents? Flirting with girls, maybe?”

“I must admit, you are right,” Souma said.

Rei chuckled. “Harsh words, Ritsu, but there is some truth to your claim. In fact, our Kaoru-kun didn’t even think he was particularly good at charming girls—he went so far as to write you for that precise trait, Ritsu~”

Ritsu stared at him. “Me?”

“Yes, for getting spoiled by the little miss Anzu, or so it seems. You should let your big brother spoil you sometime, too~”

“Shut up. I don’t know you.” Ritsu turned away. He fell into silence, his eyebrows fused together and his face just a little red.

“…No, no, no, this is going in the wrong direction!” Koga yelled after a pause. “Vampire bastard, we’re trying to prove our innocence here!”

“That may be,” Rei said, “but right now there is too little evidence to prove anything. We are in quite a difficult position, and unfortunately, none of us have an alibi…”

“That’s right—that reminded me,” Ritsu straightened suddenly. “I was going to ask something about one of your unit members”—he looked around the circle until he finally pointed at the person he was looking for. “Ah, you, Ado-chan.”

Adonis looked mildly surprised at being addressed. “Um…yes?”

“You were the one who took Ou-sama to the infirmary at the end of the play, right?” Ritsu narrowed his eyes at the dark-skinned boy. “You might have been the last one who saw him, you know. Did you bring him safely to the infirmary and return immediately after? Did you say anything to him? Was he acting strangely at all?”

Ritsu made sure he sounded dangerous and threatening enough, but on the inside, he was tense as he waited for the response. Ever since the body discovery announcement, he had thought over and over that maybe he had made a grave mistake when he let his Ou-sama leave with someone else. He was tired; he hadn’t been paying attention. But if something had happened at that time…if his own slip led to Leo being placed in a dangerous situation…then he would never forgive himself.

“……” Adonis looked troubled and didn’t reply immediately. Ritsu felt a prickling sensation of dread. Something was up here.

“Adonis-dono,” Souma chimed in. “After the play, you had come back late to the dorm, correct? I had asked you what you’d been doing, but you didn’t give me a straight answer. What is it that you would not tell me…?”

Adonis hesitated upon being questioned by his good friend and roommate, and then said in a quiet voice, “There are a few things…that I’m not sure if I should say.”

“Oi, what’s wrong with you?!” Koga yelled. “Can’t you tell the situation we’re in right now? If you know something, then spit it out! If you keep quiet then you’ll just look more suspicious!” 

The tall second-year nodded slowly. “I’m not sure if Tsukinaga-senpai would have wanted me to say this…but if it will become useful in finding the culprit and protecting everyone else, then I shall say it. On the way to the infirmary, Tsukinaga-senpai asked me if I would kill him.”

“—?!!” It was as if the lid to a container had been broken; everyone was suddenly talking at once.

“ _Outrageous!_ How could our Leader ever say such a thing?!” Tsukasa yelled, pointing a finger at Adonis. “You should apologize immediately!”

“I don’t get it—why would anyone want somebody else to kill them?” cried Mitsuru.

“Tsukinaga-kun is the last person I’d think of who would say such a thing,” Eichi added, looking genuinely surprised.

“Even if he did say it, you aren’t saying that you listened to him, are you?” Kuro frowned at Adonis, who seemed a bit overwhelmed at the students’ reaction. He was looking left and right, eventually locking eyes with Souma, as if begging for his help.

“Silence, please!” Souma took out his sheathed _katana_ and banged it a few times on the railing, finally bringing the pandemonium to a stop. “Adonis-dono has not finished talking! He has been brave enough to stand out and speak the truth. That is an admirable act. So we must give him a chance to explain himself fully! Adonis-dono, please, continue.”

His friend’s eyes were warm, but stern at the same time. When he had come back to his room that night, Adonis had been conflicted, so he didn’t attend to Souma’s questions. Now his friend wanted to know the truth. Adonis understood that despite everything, Souma would not hesitate to punish him if he had ever violated his moral code. It was a quality that he respected a great deal in him.

So, very bluntly and concisely, Adonis explained to the group what had elapsed between him and Leo a few hours ago. He tried his best to relay what Leo had said about losing his talent, and wanting someone to pass it on for him.

By the end of it, the expressions on the Knights members’ faces were less of outrage, and more of utter shock and misery.

“Ou-sama was going through all of this, and he didn’t tell us?” Arashi cried, genuinely hurt.

“Wh-Why should I believe you?” Tsukasa’s voice was trembling. “You could be making this up…”

“Adonis-kun is telling the truth,” Rei stepped in calmly. “Because I have heard this as well. The proposal was first made to Mikejima-kun, was it not?”

“You mean— _that’s_ what he asked to see Mama for?” Arashi gasped.

Madara hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. Leo-san asked me to kill him first. I didn’t know what to do, so I went and talked to Rei-san…And a couple others overheard our conversation, too.” His eyes scanned the circle, and Koga and the twins both shifted uneasily. “He must have become desperate after I refused him—this is all my fault—”

“Who were the ones who overheard?” Keito interrupted him, notepad already in hand.

“Doggie, and the Aoi-kuns,” Rei supplied for him. “Ah, and Kaoru-kun as well.”

“Hakaze was there, too?”

“Yes, by a strange coincidence…”

Keito scribbled a few things down. “This is a very important piece of information, I think. Even more important is what you haven’t said yet, Otogari—what did you do after Tsukinaga told you to kill him? You didn’t oblige, did you?” 

Adonis shook his head. He deliberated on his words carefully before speaking. “Even though I could understand why he wanted this, I did not think I was in the position to do this for him…It should have been something that he entrusted in a good friend, someone like our Buchou. Someone who would remain loyal to him and do it for only his sake. He told me that I would profit from gaining his talent, but…I do not want to do something like this for my own sake. That would be…the wrong thing to do.”

It had been a long while since he had spoken so much, Adonis thought—speaking was a difficult task. He hoped he had gotten his point across well enough. He knew that if it were him from before, he couldn’t possibly see things so clearly—he would have fallen into a panic when Leo put forth his request, because suddenly he didn’t know what “protect” means anymore. But the talent had paid off. Writing Souma’s name on the quiz had allowed him to understand a great deal more than he had before.

He looked across the circle, and saw his friend giving him an encouraging nod. He nodded back.

“So…you refused Ou-sama, and that was that?” Ritsu questioned, still looking suspicious.

“…No, it was more difficult than that. Tsukinaga-senpai pressed on when I said no. He grabbed on to me and wouldn’t let me leave unless I agreed. I could have shaken him off, but I didn’t want to hurt him. So, in the end…” he hesitated. “I said yes…”

_“—You said yes?!”_ Koga yelled.

“I said yes, but I did not do it!” Adonis replied hurriedly. “I told him that I would need to prepare materials if I were to do it…I told him that I would come back later that night for him. And he was able to let me go then. But I did not come back.”

“So that’s what happened…” Ritsu contemplated.

“You said you would come back for him—when?” Madara asked sharply.

“When?” Adonis paused to think for a moment. “I said ‘give me two hours’…and it was almost 10:30 at that time, I think…so it would have been around 12:30, I guess.”

“Exactly the time when Tsukinaga died,” Keito remarked.

At that, a few more suspicious glances were tossed toward Adonis, who was quite surprised upon realizing this, himself. Madara’s glare toward him became stronger and for a moment Adonis thought he was going to say something, but he stopped himself before he did.

“If Adonis-kun really were the culprit, he would make up a time that wasn’t as perfectly fitting as this one,” Rei pointed out. “It’s most likely a coincidence.”

“That’s true,” Ritsu agreed. “But this changes things. Now we know that Ou-sama was trying to get someone to kill him, which is a near-perfect motive—and it just happens to be that all of UNDEAD know about this. You guys are looking very suspicious, aren’t you? Anija.”

“Hmm…” Rei considered. “Being accused by my precious little brother—now this is certainly a troubling situation. But even if we may have an extra reason to do so, this does not prove that we were the ones who killed Tsukinaga-kun, yes?”

“But then, how do you explain the weapons from the UNDEAD Practice Room?” Arashi put in.

“Well—there’s got to be other explanations!” Koga retorted. “What if a member of UNDEAD took the weapons out, and then the killer got hold of them somehow? It almost happened last time, didn’t it?”

“So did that happen?” Ritsu asked coldly. “Did any of you take the weapons out?”

Silence. The three remaining members of UNDEAD looked towards each other uneasily, but no one said a word.

“I can prove that they didn’t,” Nazuna stepped in. “I had been watching the Unit Practice Rooms the whole time, ever since we rerouted the live feed. I didn’t see a single person go near the rooms. I had even pulled an all-nighter last night, and saw no one…But today, I was too tired, so I went to sleep directly after we got back from the play.” He hung his head. “I _really_ shouldn’t have done that…”

“No! Nii-chan, taking care of yourself is more important!” Hajime cried.

“You still have a chance, then, UNDEAD,” Ritsu said, leaning in. “You had about a two-hour window, after Nazunyan went to sleep, to take out the weapons. We won’t assume you committed the crime—maybe the real killer told you to do it, or something. Are you going to confess now? It’s your last chance.”

But still, it was as if the three members of UNDEAD were determined to say nothing. No one made a sound.

“UNDEAD, if you don’t say something, you’ll be digging your own graves,” Keito warned.

“Not so. Perhaps there is something else we haven’t considered,” Rei countered.

“What might that be? There isn’t any other explanation—” 

“There is,” Rei said abruptly. “We have not considered Kaoru-kun himself.”

“Huh?” Confused gazes turned toward the elder vampire.

“Even if you believe that none of the three of us had taken anything out of the room, there is still a fourth candidate who may have had that chance—and that is Kaoru-kun himself,” Rei explained. “He did not do so during the day, or last night—but he could have done so _tonight_ , just before he got killed.”

“But why would Hakaze-senpai…” Adonis looked confused.

“Does it not strike anyone as suspicious what Kaoru-kun was doing outside, in the night, alone?” Rei threw the question toward the group. “What was he there for? We may not ever know—but for whatever purpose, perhaps it would have been wise for him to bring a weapon or two. Perhaps the killer acquired the weapons after Kaoru-kun was subdued.” He folded his arms, his eyes glinting dangerously.

“Could you be suggesting…that Hakaze-dono set out to kill someone?” Souma addressed Rei carefully.

“It is possible. What do you think, Kanzaki-kun?”

Souma looked down, momentarily at a loss of what to say. “I…I would admit that I am highly suspicious of him,” he said. “Many times I have worried for that man’s moral principles. Whether or not he would actually commit murder—that I do not know. But out of those who overheard the conversation between Sakuma-dono and Mikejima-dono, I think he is the most likely to…waver.”

He said all of this with a troubled expression, trying to hold back his very mixed feelings toward his clubmate. He remembered when he and Adonis had been visiting the UNDEAD Unit Practice Room for the first time, and he had openly voiced his suspicion toward Kaoru—he regretted it immensely now. Had he made a self-fulfilling prophecy? What would Kaoru have thought after he heard it?

“He doesn’t necessarily have to be planning murder—he could have brought weapons for self-defense,” Rei added. “In any case, it would be possible for the killer to take the weapons from him, after he died.”

“A compelling argument, Rei-san!” Madara said. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree with you on that. You say the killer had gotten the weapons from Kaoru-san _after_ he was subdued. However, Leo-san was killed a full hour _before_ Kaoru-san. What, then, did the killer use to kill Leo-san?”

As Rei considered the question, Tsumugi raised his hand meekly. “Maybe he used a knife from the kitchen, and then switched the weapon, like in the first murder…?”

A few pairs of eyes floated to Eichi, who coughed softly, masking his expression.

“H-He didn’t use a knife from the kitchen, de gozaru,” a small voice spoke up. Everyone turned in surprise to see Shinobu, clenching his fists together as he stood nervously.

“I was assigned to watch the kitchen, de gozaru. And tonight, I couldn’t sleep at all, and I couldn’t think of anything else to do, so I was watching the whole time…n-no one went in the kitchen, de gozaru.”

Shinobu’s voice was trembling a little as he spoke, and it made Nazuna’s heart ache. If he looked closely, he could see the first-year had dark circles under his eyes, but there was a strong determination about him just the same. Shinobu had been through a lot—but he still had the will to do everything that he could to help. Nazuna admired him, and even though he knew it was wrong, he cursed himself even more for failing his job when they needed it most.

“So, it looks like the option of the killer playing the same trick as Tenshouin Eichi is ruled out, as well,” Shu reasoned. “Your argument doesn’t seem to stand, Rei. Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve to support yourself?”

Rei chuckled. “Hmm…I guess that at this point, even this old man is out of options.”

“Then, are there no other ways to explain the weapons from the UNDEAD Practice Room?” Eichi addressed the group. “Will we accept the conclusion that the killer was a part of UNDEAD?”

There finally seemed to be a sort of resigned acceptance within the group, culminating in disheartened nods and a few sighs. But between them, one person suddenly spoke.

“ ‘Undead’ do not seem like ‘murderers’ to me.”

Kanata was looking intently at Eichi, his expression blank but unsettling, like the calm before the storm. Eichi tilted his head. “Why might you think that, Shinkai-kun?”

“It is easy…for a ‘murderer’ to ‘lie’,” Kanata said slowly.

He let his soft gaze drift around the circle, settling on the three faces that were looking at him expectantly. Rei, his good friend. Koga and Adonis, good children. He continued. “If one of ‘Undead’ were the ‘murderer’, they would not have hesitated to ‘lie’ when asked if they had taken out any ‘weapons’. They would say they ‘did’, and then simply ‘deny’ committing the ‘crime’. That would be the ‘beneficial’ thing to do. Because if they don’t, they will instead be the most ‘suspicious’. A ‘murderer’ would not put himself in a ‘dangerous’ situation.”

“However, they did not ‘confess’ to taking the weapons…and there would be no ‘reason’ for them to do so, unless they were telling the ‘truth’. The ‘truth’ is the hardest thing to tell. What they said has caused everyone to ‘turn’ on them and see them as ‘murderers’. But still they refuse to ‘lie’. That is why I ‘believe’ them.”

It took everyone a few moments to wrap their minds around Kanata’s long, winding speech. But once they did, even Eichi could see the sense behind it. He nodded appreciatively, acknowledging what had been said.

“I see your point, Shinkai,” said Keito, “but this backs us into a corner. Are UNDEAD the culprits or not? What do we make of the weapons?”

“I think…maybe we should change our perspective,” Mao suggested. “The question about the weapons is getting complicated, so maybe we should put it aside for now. Instead, we should look at all the other clues for this case—there’s still a lot we haven’t gone over. Maybe from there, we can find a lead.”

“I agree with Isara’s proposition,” Hokuto said. “My grandmother has always said to me, ‘Do not be the frog at the bottom of the well.’ We shouldn’t limit ourselves to one field of vision.”

“All right, let’s go over what we know—or think—right now,” Nazuna said. “The killer snuck out after returning to the dorm after the play, when everyone was awake. He knew or didn’t know about Leo-chin’s wish, and went on to acquire weapons somehow, and kill Leo-chin…Later, Kaoru-chin came looking for his jacket, and stumbled upon the crime scene. He might have caught sight of the killer after Kanata-chin and Itsuki left him, so the killer had to kill him to eliminate suspicion. Is that right?”

“Sounds about right,” Keito nodded.

“Umm…There’s a question that I’ve been wanting to ask…” a soft voice piped up. Nazuna turned to see Hajime, holding up his hand politely.

“Go on, Hajime-chin. What is it?”

“I was wondering…how the killer managed not to get blood on themselves,” the timid first-year said. “If they really did… _that_ sort of thing…to Hakaze-senpai and Tsukinaga-senpai, they should be covered in blood, right? But everyone here is really clean…”

Nazuna looked around the circle. He was right—no one here had a speck of blood on them.

“Last time that happened, Sena-senpai used a cape to shield himself from the blood, right?” Yuuta pointed out. “Maybe something similar happened this time?”

“ _Amazing!_ That is just what I was thinking!” Wataru called out with a gleeful smile. “And I have a theory as to how the killer did it—it’s all here in my hands!”

“What sort of theory, Wataru?” Eichi asked curiously.

In response, Wataru opened his hand, and inside was the scrap of fabric he had found inside the strange fire. “This, my dear audience, is the key to all our questions~!”

“…So it really was in his hands,” Tomoya mumbled.

“Observe, please, the color of this fabric!” Wataru continued. “Does it remind you of anything at all~?”

“That shade of blue…is the same as the school uniform, isn’t it…?” Midori pointed out.

“Exactly~! What I am holding is a piece of a Yumenosaki Academy school jacket. And look closely—a side of it is stained in blood. I will pass it around, so you can verify for yourselves that it is blood.” He proceeded to do so.

“So, Wataru, you’re suggesting that…” Eichi addressed him.

“—That the killer used a jacket as his shield, and disposed of it promptly after having it covered in blood!” Wataru declared. “Now, look around the circle. Who here is missing their jacket~?”

They looked around, but it seems that everyone had their jacket on.

“Surprise! It was a trick question. _No one_ here is missing their jacket. So, the jacket must have been from one obvious person….” Wataru smiled.

“Kaoru-kun,” Rei finished for him.

“That’s right…Hakaze-dono was looking for his jacket, was he not?” Souma said. “So the killer must have taken it from him sometime earlier!”

“The ‘murderer’…probably took it after he left it at the ‘fountain’,” Kanata said. “So he would have two ‘jackets’…and after getting one ‘bloody’, he could wear the other one.” 

Everyone nodded, satisfied that at least they had figured one thing out.

“But—wait,” someone suddenly said. It was Makoto, holding up his ID card and flipping through it. “This is weird. This is really weird, because I’m certain—I’m almost certain…” he mumbled to himself.

“What is it, wimpy glasses? Tell us already!” Koga demanded.

“That’s it! I’ve found it!” Makoto held up his ID card triumphantly. “I knew it—Hakaze-senpai _was wearing his jacket_ when he returned to the dorm tonight!”

_“What?”_ Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

“It’s true! Tonight, when everyone was coming back, I tuned in to the cameras in the dormitory building, and I took screenshots of when everyone returned to their rooms—in order to make sure everyone was safely back, and have a reliable list of who’s here or not. But look here—in this screenshot, Hakaze-senpai _has his jacket on_.”

Everyone near Makoto leaned in to look. Indeed, the display showed a blurry picture of Kaoru entering his room, and he was no doubt wearing his blue jacket at the time.

“But—what could this mean?” Arashi questioned. “Why would he say he’s looking for his jacket if he already _has_ it?”

Tsukasa looked at his senpai helplessly. He felt the same sense of annoyance, of unending frustration—he didn’t know what could have happened, either. How could he know? The entire circle, like him, was silent, lost in thought. Just as they thought they had reached something, they had been forcefully jerked back away from it. This case was a labyrinth with no end, leading them in circles. How could they ever expect to avenge their Leader’s death like this?

“I think that we have to reconsider everything we’ve been given up to this point,” Rei said after a while. “Something doesn’t match up here.”

“That’s right—it’s almost impossible that Hakaze-kun could have ‘lost’ his jacket again after having it at that point,” Eichi chimed in. “So I think we must come to a different conclusion. My guess is that…Hakaze-kun was lying.”

“Lying…” The word fell heavily upon everyone in the circle. No less ironic was the fact that the Emperor was the one who brought it up, having lied his own way through the first trial.

“If he was lying, then we must ask ourselves—what could have driven him to lie?” Eichi continued, unflustered. “Clearly, he was _not_ there to look for his jacket. Instead, he must have been doing something that could not be seen or found out. This is why he would make up an excuse to divert Shinkai-kun and Itsuki-kun—the jacket excuse. He had said it soon enough so that you had no chance to approach him or see the interior of the room, correct? That was his purpose. And so, for him to have reason to lie, it seems very likely that one of two scenarios is true— _that Hakaze-kun was the killer, or he was an accomplice_.”

The entire room was deathly silent. Eichi’s argument was chilling—particularly because it ringed of truth. Why else would Kaoru have lied in such a strange manner?

“But Kaoru-kun himself could not have been the killer,” Rei pointed out, “since there was only one killer, and it is impossible he committed suicide, in light of all the things that have been done to his body.”

“Correct,” Eichi nodded. “So we must conclude that Hakaze-kun was an accomplice, or at least knew about the plot in some way. Do you all agree?”

“Wait,” Koga snapped. “What makes you think you can jump to that conclusion? What if he lied for some other reason—”

“It makes a great deal of sense when you look at it, Oogami-sama,” Yuzuru put in. “This can also explain how the real killer acquired weapons from the UNDEAD Practice Room. It is far more likely that Hakaze-sama took them out for him.”

“That…” Koga was at a loss for words.

“So, President-sama,” Yuzuru continued expressionlessly, “I believe the theory you are trying to arrive at is something similar to this: Hakaze-sama and the real killer had conspired together, possibly with Hakaze-sama’s knowledge of Tsukinaga-sama’s wish, to kill Tsukinaga-sama. Late at night, Hakaze-sama took out the weapons from the UNDEAD Practice Room. They then carried out the murder in the infirmary, and set up the scene in the Light Music Clubroom. However, as they were doing so, Shinkai-sama and Itsuki-sama came searching. The killer told Hakaze-sama to make up an excuse to divert them. Then, after they had gone, the killer killed Hakaze-sama—in a classic move of getting rid of someone who ‘knows too much’—and set up his body with the remainder of the equipment, and left.”

If the room had felt cold after Eichi’s speech, now it was suddenly ten degrees colder. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Koga wanted more than anything to believe that everything here was a complex ploy, and no one of UNDEAD would ever do something so outrageous—but he was beginning to realize how little he really knew about the members of his unit. Dammit, Hakaze, he thought. If you really did that, I’m never forgiving you.

“That’s too cruel…” Tsumugi said. “If that theory is true, Kaoru-kun was helping the killer, wasn’t he? He didn’t deserve to get killed then…”

“Well, Tsumugi,” Eichi said with a patient smile, “Sometimes unfair things have to be done for a greater purpose. Hakaze-kun should have known that if he collaborated with a killer, he was bound to get taken care of, because the game only allows one winner…”

“There!” Ritsu shouted suddenly, slamming on the railings.

“What?” Eichi started.

“There’s the contradiction,” Ritsu said slowly. He hadn’t spoken for a while, and had instead been mulling over everything that had been said, trying to find the source of the peculiar feeling he had gotten since early in the trial. Something was just a tiny bit out of place, but it bothered him all the same.

_“—Why didn’t he realize that if he acted as an accomplice, he’d have nothing to gain…?”_

All the circle’s gazes fell toward Ritsu, uncomprehending. Ritsu took a deep breath and continued.

“Ecchan is right. The game only allows one winner. So other than in the first case, where a ‘first-time bonus’ was offered…it’s _never_ a good idea to collaborate on someone else’s murder. If they aren’t found out and win the game, _you die_. If they are found out and lose the game…you don’t die, but then what was the point of doing it anyway?”

“Maybe…it was for something more important than winning or dying,” Hokuto said softly. “Maybe it was for friendship or trust or loyalty, something like that.” 

“Maybe,” Ritsu agreed. “In fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if some of you _would_ think that way. Someone like our idiot Ou-sama or Anija, when I’m involved, would do something like that for no good reason. But I think Kaoru-kun isn’t one of those people.” He narrowed his eyes. “Not at this point in time.”

“And why do you think so?” Eichi questioned him.

“Because…if we believe what Anija said earlier… _Kaoru-kun got my talent_ ,” Ritsu answered. “Which means he would have been a _strategist_. Someone who plots out benefits and losses and acts accordingly. He would have seen the absurdity of acting as an accomplice here. He would have known the danger it would put him in.” Ritsu kept his voice steady, channeling as much of the vampire spirit in him as he could. “Which brings me to my second point.”

“Your second point?”

“I’ll leave this point for my Anija to make,” he said, looking across the circle towards Rei with an expression of distaste. “Kaoru-kun was killed in the _middle of the night_. What am I like in the middle of the night, Anija?”

Rei was so startled at the sudden attention from his younger brother that he could hardly even comprehend the question. “Y-You’re cute and precious, like you always are, Ritsu,” he sputtered.

“Not _that_ , you annoying bug!” Ritsu shouted. “What am I like _compared to in the daytime?”_

“Compared to in the daytime?” Rei paused to think. “You’re far more alert and active, of course—like a true vampire, you have nearly endless capability. Nothing could catch you off guard.”

“Exactly,” Ritsu said, turning back toward the group. “A vampire is most alert at night. _Even if_ Kaoru-kun for some reason decided to give the killer his help, it would still have been extremely difficult—next to impossible, to kill him. Because _he’d know there’s a high chance of betrayal_. As long as he has my talent, he would have gone through the reasoning that I just made, and come to the conclusion that it’s possible he’ll be killed. _So he would be ready_. If I were in a situation like that, I’d be aware of where my partner was at all times, and prepare to defend myself if anything happened. And a vampire at night isn’t that easy to kill.”

“You say that you’d be ready, Ritsu-kun…” Eichi said, “but couldn’t the killer just overpower you with brute force?”

“That’s the thing,” Ritsu said. “There was no fight at all. Because on Kaoru-kun’s body, we didn’t see any sign of struggle, right? Take out your photos, Anija, and show everyone,” he commanded unhurriedly. “There was no outer injury other than the decapitation, yeah? Which meant the killer _cut off his head in one strike_. I already doubt how realistic that is, but I’d _never_ let that happen to me if I was expecting it.”

“So, Sakuma-sama…You’re saying that it’s not possible that Hakaze-sama conspired with the killer, because then he’d be on his guard and wouldn’t be killed so easily,” Yuzuru contemplated.

“Yep. The same thing applies if he walked in onto the murder scene—he would know immediately that something’s up.”

“I see…” Yuzuru mused for a few seconds, and then suddenly, he jumped at Ritsu.

It was nearly too fast for the human eye to process. In a split second, Yuzuru had darted two places over, causing Mao to yelp in surprise, and there came a loud _crash_ from Ritsu’s platform. When Mao looked again, the two boys were already locked in a death grip, Ritsu with his back against the railing, just barely holding off Yuzuru’s hands, which were aimed for his neck. Both were breathing heavily.

After a brief moment of struggle, Yuzuru relented and stepped back. He nodded toward Ritsu respectfully.

“It seems your reflexes are indeed as good as you have described, Sakuma-sama,” he said. “To be able to fend off an attack of mine…that is admirable. As expected of a vampire of the Sakuma family.”

“Th-That was a test?” Mao gasped, realization finally dawning on him, along with everyone else who was gaping in horror.

Yuzuru nodded. “I am now convinced of Sakuma-sama’s abilities.”

“You were really out to kill me, weren’t you?” Ritsu muttered, holding on to the railing and glaring at Yuzuru.

“If I didn’t go in with that intention, it wouldn’t have been a fair test.”

“If you ever do that to my little brother again—” Rei called out, but Ritsu shushed him with a wave of his hand. “You’re annoying. I deal with my own problems, Anija.”

“But I’m curious,” Yuzuru pressed on, “if that sort of attack couldn’t kill you, then what could? What do you think could have caused Hakaze-sama’s sudden, gruesome death?”

Ritsu thought for a moment. “It would be hard, especially since the killer chose to cut his head off instead of doing something nice and easy like stabbing him, you know? But to do it, I guess it would have to be a complete surprise—a sneak attack that he could never anticipate. I think that’s how Kaoru-kun died,” he asserted. 

The entire circle was whispering among themselves, trying to make sense of the new situation; in the meantime, Keito had been furiously making notes in his notepad. He frowned as he studied them now, looking across everything that had been said so far, as he raised his pen and circled a few things, crossed out some others. He drew several arrows and wrote in more notes. Finally, after much scrutiny, he rested his gaze on one sentence, underlined forcefully with two strokes.

“Everyone,” the Vice President tapped on the edge of his railing, trying to get the group’s attention. “We’ve made some good progress. But I think what we’ve deduced has taken us back to our starting point. If the theory that Hakaze was an accomplice does not stand, then we have no way of answering the central question— _why did he say he was looking for his jacket?”_

“……” The previously clamoring group fell back into silence.

“How could we know, when everything we talked about ended up being wrong…?” Midori sighed.

“He wasn’t telling the truth, because he _did_ have his jacket, and he wasn’t lying because he was in league with the killer, either…” Makoto reasoned. “Huh? Then aren’t we left with nothing?”

“Maybe Kaoru-kun never really talked to YOU,” Natsume said jokingly toward Kanata. “Maybe it was all a halluciNATION.”

“It was not a ‘hallucination’, Nacchan,” Kanata replied. “Not like one of your ‘visions’.”

“Ahh, so Kanata-nii-san got my fortune-telling abiliTY,” Natsume cracked an impish smile. “That’s a surpRISE.”

No one laughed. Natsume wanted to press on and ask Kanata what he had seen, but his senpai didn’t look too happy right now—so he decided to save it for later. The room was silent again. Silence was boring to Natsume; he was wondering if he should say something more to move things along, when Shu suddenly addressed him.

“Sakasaki. What you said about hallucinations has gotten me thinking about something.”

Natsume turned in surprise. “HM? That was just a joke, THOUGH—you shouldn’t think too much about it, Shu-nii-SAN.”

If Shu had heard, he evidently decided not to listen, and went on with a brooding frown. “Have any of you ever heard of the _Grand Guignol Theater_ , I wonder?”

Blank faces greeted him, and Shu nodded. “I wouldn’t think so. It was a theater that opened in Paris in the twentieth century, and it specialized in twisted, graphic horror shows. It was a work of the grotesque—there were constant scenes of murder and torture onstage.”

“Why, do you enjoy things of that nature, Shu?” Wataru asked. “I thought you were intolerant of gruesome scenes.”

“It is _seeing_ these things graphically that I cannot stand,” Shu responded. “Yet even the grotesque, the sinister, the amoral—they all have an aesthetic of their own. I would not deny its artistic meaning. But I digress… Sakasaki’s comment made me think back to one of its plays I had read about.” He glanced toward Natsume, who was listening intently. “In its most iconic scene, a madman is conversing with his wife in the bedroom. But as the conversation goes on, his wife’s head falls off, and blood pours out of her corpse. It turns out that the wife was already dead, and the conversation was only a hallucination of his—and that he had killed his wife in a frenzy that he did not remember.” Shu paused. “It is strange. When I first saw the horrible state of Hakaze’s body, this was the first thing that came into my mind. I had thought it was simply due to the resemblance of the scene. But now…I think it means more than that.”

“Shu…” Kanata reached a hand toward his friend, his tone worried.

“Perhaps there is a way to answer all these questions,” Shu continued, feeling he had finally grasped something, something blinding, which had eluded them the entire time. “Perhaps what we saw _was_ a hallucination of sorts. Rather, that Hakaze had never really spoken to us.” Yes, it was there, like the moment when he thought of the most brilliant idea for a live, an epiphany—“When we saw the fantastic puppet show, the puppet was already dead. It was the puppet master who was controlling him, using him as a broken doll, putting words into his lifeless body—it was not the victim speaking to us, but _the killer!”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was basically an entire chapter leading up to this one conclusion. But it's an important conclusion. And I know several of you already guessed this (impressive, very impressive) but let's see where you can get from here on!
> 
> With that said, thanks for sticking through this, and see you at the next part of the trial! Again, follow the twitter account @dr_es_despair for up-to-date notifications on when that'll be :')


	20. 3.6 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slowly his eyes grew wider. Yes, perhaps this was what they had not realized…Perhaps there is an underlying truth beneath all these tangled contradictions!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow this chapter was late lol. But I really hope it will be worth the wait. It's another 10k chapter and the killer WILL be revealed this chapter!!
> 
> (Remember when I said at the start of the case that I'm lowering the complexity? yeah...yeah right. I laugh at myself for being so ignorant)
> 
> Like before, complex logic, and also some slightly graphic scenes. I tried my best to reason out everything so that every alternative is ruled out and everything is clear. Lemme know if there's anything you're confused about!

Over time, Mika had learned how to deal with his mentor’s long and sometimes difficult-to-comprehend speeches. They happened quite often, and most of the time when he didn’t understand something, he just nodded enthusiastically and said something like “Oshi-san is always right! You’re the best~” so Shu would smile haughtily and continue with his work. On the occasion that it was a direct order to him and he couldn’t get away with this, he’d plead for Shu to explain it in simpler terms, even if it got him an irritated frown and a comment that he had lost all his brains somewhere. Only at extremely rare times, if ever, was he so confused that he had to seriously ask questions.

This was one of those times.

“Wh-What do y’ mean, Oshi-san?” he was the first to sputter, as the rest of the circle stared at his mentor in a gaping silence. “Y’say the killer was usin’ Hakaze-senpai as a doll? But Hakaze-senpai isn’t a doll—not like how I’m Oshi-san’s doll! How is that _possible?”_

“Were you perhaps saying that Kaoru-kun was being manipulated by the killer?” Wataru suggested. “Something like…hypnosis? That’s quite _Amazing!_ ☆”

“No, I did not mean hypnosis,” said Shu, his arms crossed. “The one speaking to us was the killer. It was nothing but an illusion.”

“But…Kaoru was the one ‘speaking’ to us,” Kanata said, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “It wasn’t anybody ‘else’. I remember ‘clearly’.”

“No!” Shu asserted. “The killer simply made it appear that way. For one, imitating a voice is an easy thing to do. Wataru, my friend, you can do it easily, can you not?”

“Myself? I do not deny it. It is a staple of mine as a performer.” Wataru made a dramatic, swooping bow.

“But it wasn’t only his ‘voice’—it was Kaoru who was at the ‘door’,” Kanata argued. “We ‘saw’ him. I’m ‘positive’ it was him.”

“We saw him—but _how?”_ Shu pressed on. “Come, reimagine the scene, Kanata! If we were the viewers of a show—where was the stage? Where was the audience?”

“…We were…down the ‘hall’,” Kanata said very, very slowly. “Kaoru was in the Light Music Clubroom, and opened the ‘door’ to ‘speak’ to us…”

“—He merely stuck his head outside the door, correct?” Shu went on for him. Kanata nodded. “He had stopped us and directed us outside before we could approach him. So we could not see his condition clearly—no, we saw nothing other than his head. _Could we even say if it was attached to the remainder of his body…?”_

Kanata went very still. His eyes were wide but cast down at the ground.

“Behold, the conclusion!” Shu turned to face the crowd with an air of confidence. “What we saw was not real, nor a hallucination, merely an elaborate puppet show. The performer tricked our ears by imitating Hakaze’s voice and acting as him. And he tricked our eyes by _holding up Hakaze’s head_ and treating him as a puppet…he could do so because the puppet was lifeless. _When the killer spoke to us, Hakaze was already dead!”_

A stunned silence followed. This was a conclusion that was far more terrifying than anything they could have imagined. It seemed almost like something out of a horror movie. _Holding up_ a dead person’s severed head? _Acting as_ him as you did it? That was beyond twisted, but then again, the killer this time had proven himself to be extraordinarily brutal. Mika could see a few people around the circle with their hands to their mouths, looking as if they were going to throw up.

As for him, he liked horror movies, so the concept didn’t bother him quite as much. But still, he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the fact that something so horrifying and thrilling at the same time could have happened in the halls of Yumenosaki.

“W-Wait, Oshi-san…” Mika addressed his mentor a little frantically. “I’m an idiot so I don’t really get it…Why are y’ so sure that’s what happened? Even t’ me, that sounds too far-fetched t’ be real…”

“Kagehira, if only you used your brain a little more—“

“No, he’s right,” Nazuna interrupted. “You jumped to the conclusion too fast, Itsuki. Don’t go on scolding Mika-chin because of that. It sounds unreal to me, too.”

Shu hefted a long sigh. “Goodness, alright. I will explain in simple terms to the foolish masses. I am certain that my theory is correct, because it is the only conceivable way out of the quandary we had been stuck in previously.”

“You mean, the problem that Hakaze-senpai couldn’t have told the truth about the jacket, but couldn’t have lied, either?” Tomoya asked.

“Precisely.” Shu nodded. “The statement about looking for the jacket must have been a lie, because Hakaze had his jacket. However, the only ones with reason to lie are either the killer or an accomplice, because they would wish to direct us away from the crime scene, lest we enter and catch them. We’ve shown that Hakaze was _not_ an accomplice, and it is not possible he is the killer, either. Thus, the only remaining conclusion is— _the person who had spoken was the killer and was not Hakaze._ Hakaze was impersonated.”

“I see…” Mao nodded slowly. “It’s like what Sherlock Holmes said—after you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth!”

“But Oshi-san,” Mika said as he chewed on a fingernail nervously, “Hibiki-senpai is th’ only one out of us that can do that…imitatin’ voices an’ all. Yer not sayin’ that Hibiki-senpai did it, right?”

“Not so.” Shu shook his head. “Do not forget, Kagehira, that Wataru’s talent is no longer his own right now. There are _plenty_ of us who have inherited all of Wataru’s abilities…and we have seen them in action during the play, yes?” He raised his chin proudly.

“Those who performed in the play—“ Keito flipped open his notepad. “—Hibiki, Sakuma, Hidaka, Mashiro—who does _not_ have Hibiki’s talent—Sakasaki, and…Eichi.” 

A flurry of uneasy glances surged around the room, questioning, suspecting, aimed at everyone whose name had been called. The suspects themselves, however, seemed mostly unperturbed. Hokuto’s face remained stoic and indifferent. Natsume grinned mischievously, as if this was all great fun. Eichi simply wore a soft smile.

“Within them, I would say that Tenshouin Eichi is _by far_ the most suspicious,” Shu stated with a glare, as if that were obvious.

“Now, now, before we start jumping to conclusions,” Eichi said, his smile not slipping a bit, “we should go step by step in our logic. Right now, I have a question. Shinkai-kun, you said earlier that the ‘Kaoru’ that you saw directed you to look for his jacket at the fountain, correct? Do you know about anyone else that might have _known he was there at the fountain?”_

“……” Kanata frowned as he mulled over the question in his head. The President was right—the killer could only have impersonated Kaoru if he knew about their little excursion in the fountain. But no one had seen them, right? He didn’t remember anyone passing by—but then again, he was lying with his head in the water most of the time, staring up at the sky. It would have been a wonder if he _did_ notice his surroundings.

“I didn’t ‘see’ anyone when we were there,” he finally answered, “but I can’t say for ‘sure’.”

“Even if no one was there with them at the time, it wouldn’t have been hard to know about it,” Makoto pointed out. “Maybe someone was in the building and saw them through the windows, or maybe Hakaze-senpai happened to mention it to someone else later on. There’s really all sorts of ways to gather information if you put your mind to it.”

“…I don’t think Kaoru would have ‘told’ anyone,” Kanata said.

“And why is that?” Keito asked.

Kanata debated telling them about the horrible vision that he had seen and accidentally relayed to Kaoru, causing him to leave him in fear and rage, but eventually decided against it. Instead, he said, “Kaoru would be ‘embarrassed’ to have anyone know he swam in the ‘fountain’ with me…puka, puka. ♪”

“That’s probably true,” Koga said. “But still, I guess someone could have been watching you guys through the window or in the bushes or something. Pretty fuckin’ creepy, if you ask me.”

A few nods of agreement around the group, but no one had the courage to say anything more. It was as if the presence of the killer was looming above them all, grinning maliciously, taunting them with his puzzle—but Koga didn’t want to know any more. Each turn of the discussion had become progressively more morbid, and he wouldn’t admit it in a million years, but it scared him. He didn’t want to think that there was someone in their midst that was capable of doing all this. That was just damn _wrong._

“All right then,” Rei broke the silence. “Let’s go over what we know, once again. Perhaps we can find a way forward from there.”

“Yes! Let’s start from the beginning,” Arashi stepped in with his best effort to bring back some confidence. “First of all, the killer saw when Kaoru-chan and Kanata-chan were in the fountain—when was this, again?”

“‘Earlier’ today, in the ‘afternoon’,” Kanata supplied for him. “Or rather, it was ‘yesterday’…it’s past ‘midnight’, after all.”

“Yesterday, then. Later on in the evening, everyone went to see the play, and Ou-sama was there too. Adonis-chan took Ou-sama back to the infirmary, and their little talk happened. Then…Ou-sama was killed at 12:30, is that right?”

“Killed in the infirmary, with a stake to the heart, and then transported to the inside of my beloved coffin,” Rei affirmed. “Now, the question is—“

“—When Hakaze-senpai was killed,” Hokuto continued, catching on to Rei’s line of thought. “What we know is he was already dead when Shinkai-senpai and Itsuki-senpai came around, at 1:30. The killer had probably already…beheaded him before then. But the killer was still in the room and was worried they’d come in and find him, so he acted as Hakaze-senpai and told the lie about looking for the jacket, even though Hakaze-senpai _did_ have the jacket with him. Does that sound right to everyone?”

“As right as it can be, Hidaka-kun,” Makoto said. Then his brows folded into a slight frown. “Although…somehow…when you mentioned the jacket again, I got a weird feeling. It’s like we forgot something along the way, and now something’s not really right…”

“The jacket?” Hokuto blinked a few times.

“Yeah…there was something about the jacket before, that I keep feeling we forgot…”

“Never fear,” Keito said curtly. He was already flipping through his notepad as he adjusted his glasses. “I have notes of everything that we had discussed up to this point. The jacket…the first time we had mentioned it, we were talking about how the killer had used it to shield himself so he wouldn’t be stained in blood.”

“That’s what it was!” Makoto leaned into the circle eagerly. “Right after that, I was saying how Hakaze-senpai had it all along, and we got caught up on why he lied…but when I pointed it out, I was thinking of a more basic problem.”

“A more basic problem?” Nazuna stared at him.

“Right! Because if Hakaze-senpai had the jacket all along, the killer never took it from him, right?” Makoto said breathlessly. 

“Yeah…so?” Mao said.

“So he _couldn’t_ have used it to shield himself from the blood.”

“…Well, we can rethink that pretty easily,” Hokuto said matter-of-factly. “Even if the killer didn’t have both jackets from the start…he could have killed Hakaze-senpai when he still had his jacket, and then switched the two jackets after Hakaze-senpai was dead. How about that?”

“Don’t you see? That’s not possible,” Makoto rushed to explain. His breath was quickening, giving him the same feeling as when he was nearing the end of a difficult level in a video game. “There’s _no way_ blood wouldn’t have gotten on Hakaze-senpai’s jacket as well, if he was beheaded when he was wearing it. The killer’s, too. _Both_ jackets would have gotten dirty.”

“That’s true—the head is being cut off, after all,” Eichi pointed out. “The arteries in the neck are very powerful. Blood would shoot out like a fountain—it would have been quite a bloodbath.”

Hokuto felt vaguely unsettled at that comment, and decided not to ask the President why he could come up with such information so readily. “Well then, if the killer wasn’t wearing his jacket when he did it—“

“It would still have gotten on his white shirt,” Makoto finished for him. “And even if we suppose he took off _all_ his clothes, there’s no place to wash the blood off him afterwards, unless he wants to risk going back to his room dripping with blood.”

“It’s the other way around, then,” Madara suggested. “Instead of the killer, Kaoru-san had his jacket off.”

“But why would anyone willingly take off their jacket in that sort of cold?” Ritsu countered. “I feel cold even when I have it on.”

“The killer told them to take it off, then—“

“Not possible, either.” Ritsu cut him off. “That would have alerted Kaoru-kun to a danger, and we already proved that a sneak attack is the only way he could have been killed.”

“Hmm.” Rei pressed a finger to his chin. “Since we have found only one jacket that was stained in blood, it is certain that one of the jackets was off. Yet we’ve proven that the killer would have gotten blood on him regardless, so Kaoru-kun’s jacket was _certainly_ off.”

There it was—another impossible conundrum. This time, just trying to understand it was hard enough. Tomoya could see Mitsuru looking helplessly toward his neighbors, seemingly completely lost. Tsukasa was leaning into his ear and trying to explain everything as best he could, but he seemed awfully confused himself.

Tomoya frowned. No, he would refuse to admit that it was impossible. Every question, no doubt, had an answer—if they couldn’t find it, then they were looking in the wrong places. He thought back to the time he had acted as a detective, and successfully solved the riddle that Knights had laid out for them on the “Mystery Stage”…finding contradictions, and thinking outside the box was key.

“So…Hakaze-senpai had his jacket off, but he didn’t take it off willingly, and he wasn’t asked to take it off,” he started carefully. “So the only option left is…the jacket was removed against his will.”

He felt a tiny surge of confidence when he saw Hajime looking at him intently, nodding for him to go on. He took a deep breath and continued. “But according to Ritsu-senpai, it couldn’t have been done in a way that alerts him to danger. That means he couldn’t have _known_ about it. The only way that’s possible is if… _Hakaze-senpai was unconscious_ when the killer removed his jacket.”

A few murmurs across the group. Tomoya began to breathe more steadily. It seems he had caught on to something, opened a new doorway.

“Unconscious…how?” Tetora asked him. “Asleep? Knocked out? Poisoned?”

“It wasn’t when— _if_ —he was asleep in his dorm, because his roommate—Shinkai-senpai—is one of the only ones who has an alibi,” Tomoya reasoned. “And I don’t think there’s anything we could have used to poison him.”

“So he was…knocked out, de gozaru?” Shinobu said weakly.

“I think so. It doesn’t contradict anything we said—someone could have knocked out Hakaze-senpai in a sneak attack, catching him off guard. And then it would have been easy to take off his jacket, and probably cut off his head, too, when he was unconscious.” Tomoya turned, his eyes determined. “Umm…Members of UNDEAD, this is an important question. Was there any sign that Hakaze-senpai might have been knocked out?”

”Well, that guy didn’t have any outside injuries, but…” Koga hesitated. “We didn’t look at his head. If there was a blow on his head, then there’s no way to know for sure.”

“Ugh…that’s a problem.” Tomoya hung his head. “It’s nothing but a guess at this point, so if we don’t have evidence…”

“If we need to KNOW, then why don’t we go on and confirm it for ourSELVES?” A voice suddenly rang out. Natsume’s golden eyes glinted, like a cat’s, as he smiled knowingly. “All we have to do is go back and CHECK.”

“But—we’re in the middle of a trial!” Tsukasa protested.

“WELL, that doesn’t maTTER,” Natsume said simply. “We can change THAT. Kirakuma-KUN? Would it be alright if you let us out on a short BREAK?”

To everyone’s surprise, Kirakuma, who was sitting in the front row and happily sipping a drink, shrugged and nodded. “It’s fine by me. I was thinking this trial was getting a little long, anyway! Get up, take a breather, have a glass of water, do what ya want. Of course, I’ll be watching you lot, so don’t try and do anything fishy.“

As Natsume said his thanks to the bear and the auditorium doors reopened, Hokuto and the rest of the circle all stared at him, dumbfounded. It was impossible to understand that classmate of his, he thought. But maybe that was the power of a magician.

 

\--CLASS TRIAL: SUSPENDED--

 

The thought of it had been easy enough. _Check to see if Kaoru has an injury on his head._ It was only when he approached the doors of the Light Music Clubroom that Tomoya fully realized what he had signed himself up to do, and his stomach twisted into a knot immediately.

Hajime was with him, having insisted that if Tomoya was going to go, he would keep him company. The three members of UNDEAD had also tagged along, as well as Ritsu, Natsume, and Madara, out of either curiosity or concern—Tomoya wasn’t sure which. 

He hadn’t been in this room during the investigation, simply because he was scared sick of what he'd see. Now he laughed at himself inwardly. Of course he had to put on a brave front, letting the “detective” character overtake him and volunteer to check on Kaoru’s corpse. _Way to go, Tomoya. Way to forget your own identity again._

Still, he had no choice, so he took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. He realized he was calmer than he normally would have been—a part of his Hokuto-senpai was still inside him. The thought comforted him, and in one fluid motion, he pushed on the door handle and stepped into the room.

“…!”

It really wasn’t that much different from what they’d seen in the photos—but he still drew back a little in disgust when he saw the scene up close and personal. Hajime let out a little shriek and clung to his sleeve tighter than before. The UNDEAD members, on the other hand, seemed used to it by now, and made their way toward Kaoru’s body, so Tomoya rushed to follow them.

“The killer this time really had a taste for the maCABRE, don’t you THINK?” he heard Natsume remark from behind him, a sly smile perceptible in his voice. It was followed by a hearty laugh from Madara.

“Haha! You sure seem calm, Natsume-san! Aren’tcha scared at alll?”

“I was, at FIRST,” came the reply. “But the more I looked at IT, the more it seemed like a work of ART. The way the killer set this UP—it’s full of religious references, isn’t IT? It has a certain ring to IT, just like Rei-nii-san’s UNIT.”

“What’s that s’pposed to mean?” Koga snapped at him.

“NoTHING,” Natsume replied coyly. “It’s just an observaTION.”

Rei was already crouched beside Kaoru’s head, which was sitting peacefully at the feet of his body, facing toward the wall so its expression couldn’t be seen. If the vampire was disturbed at all, he didn’t show it. He looked up at Tomoya quizzically. “Now, do you wish to do the honors, young detective? If it’s too much for you, you could let the old man take over.”

“Umm…” Tomoya swallowed hard. 

To be honest, just by looking at the scene before him, he was already holding back the very strong desire to throw up. But he thought of Hajime who was still grabbing onto him like his life depended on it, and he thought of his Hokuto-senpai, who would never waver in a situation like this. He also remembered that—if he wasn’t wrong—Sakuma-senpai and Hakaze-senpai were pretty good friends, weren’t they? It would be harsh to make Sakuma-senpai do it, then.

So, before allowing himself time to think, he reached out and picked up Kaoru’s head.

A little bit of blood leaked out of the severed neck and dribbled onto the ground as he did it, and Tomoya winced. Slowly, he turned the head around to look at Kaoru’s face. It was every bit as horrible as he had feared—the third-year’s features were contorted in an expression of pain, eyes open wide, mouth hanging open. It frightened him so much that he nearly shrieked and dropped it.

_Focus! We’re trying to check for injuries!_

He looked more closely, and saw no signs of bruising or congealed blood on the forehead or face. He moved on to the back of the head, parting Kaoru’s blond hair carefully to check for any bruises or hints of blood. Yet no matter how hard he looked, it seemed that the head was entirely unharmed. Not even a strand of hair was out of place. If the neck wasn’t counted, then there was no injury at all.

His heart fell.

“What—no…but I was so sure…”

He stopped, his words escaping him. They had come all the way here for nothing—his theory didn’t stand. Kaoru hadn’t been knocked unconscious by anyone.

Tomoya felt a hand on his shoulder; Hajime was looking at him gently. “You didn’t find anything, Tomoya-kun?”

He shook his head, disappointed. Carefully he set the head back down to where it was, wondering where he could wipe his hands.

“It’s alright,” Hajime said, and pumped a fist in the air cutely. “Even if there was nothing, it still represents something important. We proved that something _didn’t_ happen, Tomoya-kun, and that leads us one step closer to the truth! So let’s go back, and think more about it, and we’ll find another explanation, okay?”

Tomoya smiled a little at his friend. At a time like this, Hajime’s soft voice was more reassuring than anything. “…Alright. Let’s solve this.”

He linked hands with Hajime and walked out of the room, knowing that even though yet another door had been closed in front of them, they had emerged stronger than before.

 

\--

 

Kanata paced the auditorium, lost in thought. From a while ago, he had felt an eerie sense that something was off. He wasn’t sure if it was something said during the trial, or an old memory floating up and nagging him once again. Either way, his intuition—his “sixth sense”, some might call it—was trying to tell him something, and he’d learned over the years not to ignore it. But he couldn’t understand it right now.

_What is the “ocean” trying to tell me this time? Is it the “fish” again? Is it the “turbulent waves”? Or perhaps…is it the “nets” that have “caught” all the “fish”, cutting them away from their “home” and “killing” them…?_

It’s the nets, Kanata thought. Nets…devices of restraint…predators. Wrapping around him, suffocating, suffocating…

“…-dono. Buchou-dono!”

Kanata started, his eyes focusing once again on the world in front of him. Souma was standing before him, a look of concern on his face. “Buchou-dono, the bear has called for the trial to resume. It would be best if you returned to your spot now.”

“…Ah.” Kanata looked around and realized for the first time he had zoned out; in the time that had passed, all the students were gathered around the circle once again. He pulled his face into a calm smile. “Thank you for telling me, Souma. You are a ‘good boy’ as usual…puka, puka.”

He glided slowly back to his spot between Tsumugi and Rei, still thinking. 

“Now, I hope you’ve all had a satisfying rest!” Kirakuma declared from the audience, rubbing his paws together. “The _real_ fun stuff starts here, so turn your little thinking brains on, idols! The Class Trial will now continue!”

 

\--CLASS TRIAL: RESUMED--

 

“So,” Keito addressed Tomoya immediately. “Let’s hear it. What were the results of your investigation? Is there any proof of your theory?”

Tomoya hesitated for a moment before answering. “No…”

A wave of disappointment seemed to wash over the circle immediately. Sighs, grumbles, and discontented whispers permeated the air—they had run into another dead end. They had been discussing for so long, yet seemed to get nowhere—

“… _but!”_ Tomoya gripped the railings and shouted to the group.

Everyone quieted. Hajime, next to Tomoya, went on to address the circle in a steady voice. “Tomoya-kun and I spent a long time discussing what this might mean. We didn’t find any sign of injury on Hakaze-senpai’s head. That proves he wasn’t knocked unconscious. We looked for other explanations, then.”

“We were thinking about other ways Hakaze-senpai might have fell unconscious,” Tomoya continued, “and we even re-considered the theory that he was poisoned somehow. I still think it’s impossible—we don’t have any materials. But, when we discussing it, Hajime asked a really good question— _‘If he was poisoned, wouldn’t he just die from the poison itself?’”_

“It’s important because, all the contradictions we found earlier were on the assumption that the killer sliced off Hakaze-senpai’s head, which killed him instantly,” Hajime said resolutely. “That resulted in the problem of blood getting all over them. But what if that was wrong from the start? I mean—what if Hakaze-senpai was killed first from _some other cause,_ which didn’t involve blood, and his head was…taken off…later?”

“But how else could he have been killed?” Madara asked. “After all, we didn’t find any other injuries on him!”

“We thought about it,” Tomoya replied. “The question that followed was, _if Hakaze-senpai was already killed some other way, why did the killer have to cut off his head anyway?_ And…I realized that cutting off the head is another trick that the killer set up for us. When you don’t want the audience to notice something, then cover it up with something else, and direct their gazes toward that—is what you always say, right, Masked Pervert?”

“Cutting off the head was done to cover up the _real_ injury, which must have been on the neck,” Hajime went on for him. “And since there was no blood, there’s only one answer left. _Hakaze-senpai was strangled in some way._ “

“It fits with the expression Hakaze-senpai had when he died, too,” Tomoya said, looking down. “That face didn’t look like a sudden death. It looked like… _he was suffering for a long time before he finally died.”_

—And at that moment, a blinding light engulfed the room. 

It was a momentary flash, but it drove a piercing pain straight into Kanata’s skull. For a moment, everything burned into certainty, reality disintegrating to expose what had been lying underneath all the time. He cried out in agony.

No. There had been no light. It was simply in his mind, but as Kanata clutched his head and breathed heavily, and everyone stared at him in shocked concern, it felt very, very real to him. Suddenly he understood everything—what his internal voice was trying to say, the ocean, the fishing nets.

_“KAORU WAS HANGED!”_ he screamed.

“Buchou-dono?!” Souma shouted at the same time as Tetora and Midori cried, “Shinkai-senpai?”

Rei, next to Kanata, rested a hand firmly on his friend’s shoulder. “Take a moment to calm down, Shinkai-kun. Do not rush yourself.”

Kanata blinked a few times, trying to make his madly beating heart slow down. He could see it again now, the elusive dangling figure that had appeared in his vision, shrouded in shadow, swinging back and forth lifelessly…and in the instant that the light flashed, the figure’s face had finally been illuminated to him. It was his friend. He had been ensnared by the fishing nets.

“…Kaoru was ‘hanged,’” he repeated quietly.

“Er…Shinkai-kun. Could you explain why you think that?” Eichi addressed him, looking somewhat puzzled. “The Ra*bits members had concluded that Hakaze-kun was strangled in some way, but this doesn’t mean…”

“I saw it,” Kanata cut him off. “In a ‘vision’ I had.”

“A…vision?”

“When we were in the ‘fountain’. I saw a figure ‘hanging,’ and I didn’t know who it was at the ‘time’, but now I remember that it was Kaoru.”

“You MEAN…it was a vision of the fuTURE?” Natsume asked, surprised. “Is that what you saw with my taLENT, Kanata-nii-SAN?”

“Yes.”

Eichi and Keito exchanged a glance, and Keito raised one skeptical eyebrow. Eichi turned back toward Kanata with an apologetic smile.

“Well…even if you had a ‘vision of the future’, there’s no evidence to show that it’s true…besides, how could he be _hanged_ in our school, and as part of a sneak attack, no less? It’s nearly impossible to consider.”

“To hang someone, at the very least, you would need rope, correct?” Keito added. “But where in the world can we find any rope in this school?”

“But I ‘saw’ it. I’m ‘certain’ that it happened,” Kanata retorted. “I don’t have any ‘evidence’, but…” he turned, almost desperately, to Natsume. “Nacchan, you ‘believe’ me, don’t you?”

Natsume nodded. “Of course, Kanata-nii-SAN. What you described is just like what I see when I predict the fuTURE—although, it’s strange that you didn’t need a crystal ball to activate IT.”

“Still, fortune telling?” Koga squinted at Natsume. “I don’t believe in occult stuff like that.”

“You might say that, Oogami, but remember that Sakasaki’s talent has already been used in the last murder case,” Hokuto countered. “It was used so he could pinpoint Akehoshi’s location. As much as I hate to admit it, I think Sakasaki’s talent shouldn’t be ignored.”

“Even so…it’s possible he’s making it up, or it’s all in his head…” Ritsu pointed out.

“I trust Kanata,” Shu suddenly said, cutting him off. “Kanata has no reason to fool us—he has an alibi so he is not possibly in league with the killer. And he is not confused nor mad. Even among us, the Oddballs, Kanata was always _extremely_ shrewd. If he says something with a certainty of that level, then I will without a doubt believe him, and anyone who does not is ignorant, a fool, or both.”

“Goodness, all of my lines have been taken,” Rei chuckled. “What he said, then.”

“My thoughts exactly, too~!” Wataru cried.

“Shu…Rei…Wataru…” Kanata felt his eyes watering just a little, and he smiled. “Thank you.”

“…Well, since the only two people with alibis both agreed on this, I guess it’s worth a shot, yeah?” Kuro commented. “We could assume Hakaze was hanged for now. Then, if we find a contradiction, we could do it over, like we’ve always done.”

“Hmm…Alright, we’ll take that assumption,” Keito said grudgingly, “although I really have no idea _how_ he might be hanged…”

Tomoya nodded. “If everyone agrees, then, should I just go over everything we know again, since the facts have changed? I’ll do it quickly just to make sure everyone’s following along.”

“Go ahead, Tomo-chin,” Nazuna said.

“Okay. The only thing we know for certain right now is that Tsukinaga-senpai died at 12:30 at night,” Tomoya said. “Hakaze-senpai could have died at any time, and he was hanged, if what Shinkai-senpai said is true. After he hanged him, it’s possible the killer took off his jacket, to use as a spare if he got any stray blood on him, and then cut off his head to fake the cause of death. Then, the killer imitated Hakaze-senpai when Shinkai-senpai and Itsuki-senpai came looking.” 

“Faking the cause of death…and faking the time of death, as well,” Rei remarked. “I wonder what the killer was trying to do with this…if he had some other goal…” He stopped. The vampire, frowning, turned over his words once again in his head. Slowly his eyes grew wider. Yes, perhaps this was what they had not realized…Perhaps there is an underlying truth beneath all these tangled contradictions!

“What is it, Rei-san?” Madara prodded him, noticing his expression.

“I feel that I’ve reached a conclusion,” Rei said gravely, looking up to meet the eyes of his fellow students. “The killer has put on a genius act—he has created illusion after illusion, throwing us behind a confusing sheet of lies to mask the reality. Everything that the killer has done is for one purpose—to confuse us with a story he has meticulously set up and seems to be undeniable at first glance. However, when all these riddles and smokescreens are peeled away, we’ll find that _what previously seemed impossible is in fact the truth.”_

“ _You’re_ the one who’s talking in riddles, vampire bastard,” Koga complained. “Get to the point already, will ya?”

“Observe, then, the two layers of lies that the killer has put up,” Rei went on. “First—the _cause of death_. Previously, we had thought Kaoru-kun died of a beheading, and the only way the killer could do this was by using the butcher knife in the UNDEAD practice room. However, with the notion that he was hanged instead, things have changed. _The killer no longer needs a sharp weapon to perform the deed._ The entire operation could be completed with a piece of rope.” He narrowed his eyes.

“Now, the other question we had was the _time of death._ We were once certain that Kaoru-kun had died _after_ Tsukinaga-kun, possibly as he was walking in on the scene of the crime—that has been the most logical conclusion. However, the fact that Kaoru-kun was imitated calls all of this into question. Perhaps…the killer wasn’t only trying to deter the searchers, but had another motive when he impersonated Kaoru-kun. _Perhaps he was deliberately trying to mislead our idea of time of death._ And this would be very important, indeed…if _Kaoru-kun had in fact been killed before Tsukinaga-kun._ “

“Now, why is it important?” he went on. “Because we had previously concluded that ‘because Tsukinaga-kun died before Kaoru-kun, it’s not possible that the killer subdued Kaoru-kun and took the weapon he was carrying to commit the murder.’ But that has now changed. Imagine, for a moment, it was Kaoru-kun who died first. He was hanged by the killer, which did _not_ require any weapons. Then, let’s return to the theory that Kaoru-kun had been carrying his own weapons from the UNDEAD Practice Room when he died. The killer could have taken those weapons, and used them to kill Tsukinaga-kun afterwards.”

“This all leads to one surprising conclusion— _the killer did not need any access to the UNDEAD Practice Room to do this!”_ Rei declared, throwing his arms apart in conviction. “And the fact that he has taken so many painstaking steps to cover this up shows one thing—the killer wants us to think a member of UNDEAD was the culprit. This was his grand illusion! It has hidden the real truth from everyone’s vision— _that the killer was NOT a member of UNDEAD!”_

Deafening silence. Rei let the words sink in, and then relaxed. He coughed a few times. “Ah, this old man isn’t used to speaking so much…My throat would really appreciate a can of tomato juice right now.”

“Ahh, forget that!” Koga broke the silence, his eyes glowing. “That’s fucking brilliant, vampire bastard! This really proves that the culprit wasn’t a part of UNDEAD, doesn’t it?! It was all the killer trying to trick us!”

“If it’s true, then I am glad,” Adonis agreed.

“Sakuma-senpai has reasoned well,” Hokuto nodded. “I’m beginning to see things in a new light, too. The setup of the room, the horrible imagery that the victims’ bodies were found in…that was also done to frame UNDEAD, wasn’t it? The killer was trying to build off the vicious, rebellious image of your unit.”

“Indeed,” Rei said. He watched as everyone around him began to nod as well, either hopefully or grudgingly accepting this new conclusion.

“But what reason would he have to kill Kaoru-kun first?” Ritsu asked, a bit annoyed. “Kaoru-kun doesn’t have a special talent like our Ou-sama.”

“Who knows?” Rei replied. “Perhaps it is precisely in order to disorient us. I believe we can question the motive later, after we’ve figured out the identity of the killer.”

“If what you say is true, then the killer this time is certainly a master of illusion!" Wataru cried with a grin. "I'm impressed—I’m almost tempted to learn a few things from him!" 

"It does make sense," Yuzuru chimed in, “since based on what we’ve learned so far, the killer _is someone who has Hibiki-sama’s talent.”_

The ex-butler’s face was cold, and what he said brought an uneasy silence to the group. It was true—there was no way this entire plot could have been completed without the crucial ability to mimic voices. Since UNDEAD was now in the clear, Rei was no longer a suspect. Thus, the suspect list was narrowed down to only four people—Wataru, Eichi, Hokuto, and Natsume.

There still wasn’t enough information to know _which_ of the four of them, though.

“Say, I’ve been wondering something…" Tsumugi said contemplatively. “The bookshelf that was destroyed in the underground archives, which held all the books about demons and supernatural beings…was that also a decoy by the killer to frame UNDEAD?”

“The bookshelf?” Rei stared at him.

“Ah—the bookshelf!” Keito shouted suddenly, slapping a palm to his head. “That’s right, I had forgotten about it entirely!”

“It’s pretty late to be bringing up a new piece of evidence now, Hasumi,” Kuro remarked. “Let’s hear it. What’s the bookshelf about?”

“During investigation, Aoba showed me a peculiar scene in the underground archives…” Keito adjusted his glasses. “There was a bookshelf that was upheaved, and the shelf itself was taken apart as well. I’ll show you a photo…” He rummaged through his ID card until he found what he was looking for. “Here. Aoba also remarked that this bookshelf was designated for books about religion, magic, and the supernatural, which made it seem quite suspicious.”

“Dark fantasy, is it?” Eichi took Keito’s ID card and studied the photos, his curiosity piqued. “I must say, that bears an uncanny resemblance to the way the victims were killed this time. And it rings true of the theme of UNDEAD, as well.” He smiled.

“No, I find it strange that the killer would do something like this,” Keito countered. “It was quite far away from the scene of the crime, and if Aoba hadn’t chanced upon it, no one would have noticed. I don’t think anyone would put in so much effort to do something only as a decoy.”

“I agree,” said Rei. “I am certain that the killer had some other motive behind this…although it troubles me to think about what it might be.”

“Besides, wrecking the bookshelf in addition to the books seems really over-the-top…” Yuuta pointed out. “The killer this time really likes using brute force, doesn’t he?”

“It seems so.”

The vampire frowned, trying to make sense of this strange new development. It had come right out of the blue, so it threw him off a little. How did a bookshelf fit into all of this?

“Hmm…Rei-nii-SAN, while you’re thinking about the bookshelf problem, is it alright if I ask a different quesTION?” Natsume addressed him after a short pause. “It’s about your theory that proves the killer is not part of UNDEAD. There’s something I’m confused aBOUT.”

“Go ahead,” Rei said. “I’m listening.”

“According to your theoRY, the killer took the weapons carried by Kaoru-kun after he was hanged, coRRECT?” Natsume asked. “Why would Kaoru-kun be carrying weapons, aGAIN? Was he planning to kill someONE?”

“That’s one possibility,” Rei replied. “It could also have been for self-defense, in the case of an emergency.”

“There’s the place that’s confusing to ME,” Natsume said. “Whether he was setting out to kill someone or to defend himSELF—there’s no need to carry so _many_ weapons, RIGHT? We’ve found a butcher knife, chains, and a total of three STAKES. Surely if Kaoru-kun wanted to kill, a knife would have been eNOUGH—but there were enough weapons to set up the entire scene in the Light Music ClubROOM. Doesn’t that seem STRANGE?”

“Sakasaki’s got a point,” Koga said. “That’s enough weapons to kill two or three people. But Hakaze…senpai’s not the type to put in extra effort for anything. He’s always tryin’ his best to get away with the bare minimum, ain’t he? He wouldn’t try to kill more than one person. And he _definitely_ wouldn’t bring chains and all to spruce it up.”

“Not to mention…there’s also the purple fire that Keito-san and Wataru-san found,” Madara added. “That was stolen from the UNDEAD Practice Room, too. But it’s pretty impossible that Kaoru-san had brought a candle with him, of all things! Don’tcha think?”

Rei paused a while before answering. “Yes, you are right. All of these things seem like contradictions to my theory. However—I think I may have an answer. It had been a fleeting thought at the back of my mind for some time. I had always dismissed it because even I thought it was far too impossible—but I think I must say it now.”

“So…What is it?” Makoto asked, his breath quickening.

“When I was investigating Kaoru-kun’s body, I noticed a small detail—the contents of his pockets,” Rei said. “His right pocket was empty, while his ID card was in his left pocket.” He leaned in to the circle, his brows fused. “However, _Kaoru-kun is right-handed._ Typically, a right-handed person would put his card in his right pocket, since it’s easier to use that way, correct?”

A rustling sound as most people around the circle reached down to check their pockets. Rei didn’t wait for them to finish, and went on. “I think, although it isn’t universal, it’s the case for most people. And this led me to suspect—for just a moment—that _the killer had taken Kaoru-kun’s ID card out of his pocket.”_

“!—No way—you’re not saying that—?” Koga cried, catching on.

“That’s right. _I think the killer may have taken Kaoru-kun’s card after his death to enter the UNDEAD Practice Room._ “

That sentence ripped through the circle and made Koga shiver, though he didn’t know why. And then confusion and tumult broke out again.

“Aren’t you jumping to conclusions too quickly, Rei-san?” Madara called out.

“How would having a card help? He’d still die once he walks in the room!” Hinata protested.

“At this point, I’m beginning to wonder if you’re just unwilling to accept our suspicion of your unit,” Souma stated fiercely.

Rei waved his hands, trying hard to calm everyone down, and when it didn’t work, he raised his voice for the first time. “Yes, it sounds extremely improbable. I half doubt it myself. However, if it weren’t to frame UNDEAD, why would the killer go to such lengths to cover up?! _And what better way to frame UNDEAD than to raid their Practice Room?”_

The room quieted. “…But for us to believe it, Sakuma-kun, we need to know how the killer may have done it,” Eichi said. “Is there _any way_ the killer might have taken objects from the UNDEAD Practice Room without dying?”

“We can try solving the puzzle,” Hokuto mused. “Kirakuma, remind us of the rules regarding Unit Practice Rooms again. If someone from another unit steps in, they die, is that correct?”

“Yes, it is~!” Kirakuma replied with a grin. “Even if you stick a finger past the entrance of the door, my trusty lasers will detect it and blast you to pieces on the spot~! But if you stay on the outside, you’re safe, I suppose.”

“Sounds pretty impossible,” Midori sighed. “It’s not like the killer had superpowers, and levitated the weapons out of the room or something…”

“Hmm…what if he had a large magnet and it attracted the weapons through the power of magnetism, de gozaru?” Shinobu guessed excitedly.

“I don’t think there’s anything like that on our campus…”

And suddenly, as if fascinated by the challenge, everyone began shouting out their own absurd solutions.

“He used a rope and lasso’ed them in!”

“Maybe he blew a huge gust of wind through the window on the other side?”

“Or he looked at the shapes of the weapons and forged his own copies~“

”……This is ridiculous,” Keito groaned, his hand on his forehead. “We should stop this meaningless venture down the rabbit hole—it will give us nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say that so soon, Vice President-sama,” Yuzuru said with an unreadable smile. “Perhaps they _are_ touching on something here. Sometimes…what’s impossible can be made possible with the help of the right _tools._ It is an important lesson I’ve learned both as a butler and a soldier…♪”

Yuzuru was keen to play a part in the deduction game, himself. Unlike the rest of the students, though, he was taking it quite seriously. Certainly the killer was a genius and master of illusion—everything up to this point had proved this. So Yuzuru didn’t doubt for one moment that he could also conjure up some trick to steal from the UNDEAD Practice Room without entering it.

“Even if he used some sort of tool, it’s impossible to use it without leaving behind some sort of clue,” he reasoned out loud. “And within all of the clues that we’ve found up to this point…the one whose purpose still eludes us is…the bookshelf.”

He fixated his attention on the bookshelf. Books upheaved, shelf dismantled. What could it mean? He knew that the killer this time liked to play with smoke and mirrors—hiding his real purpose behind a misleading façade. What did he want? A book? But he could have simply taken the book—or perhaps, the _shelf?_

“Hibiki-sama,” he suddenly raised his head. “Could you remind me of what you found burning in the purple fire?”

“The fire?” Wataru tilted his head as if making a great effort to remember. “Well, I couldn’t make out much of anything. There was the fabric that I found, of course. The rest of it…was just wood and other rubbish, I suppose?”

“Wood,” Yuzuru repeated. “The bookshelves in the underground archives…are made of wood, are they not?”

“Yeah, they are,” Tsumugi nodded. Then his eyes widened. “Wait—you mean—“

“Indeed.” Yuzuru’s face fell into a satisfied smirk. “What we think to be the most commonplace thing burning in the fire is in fact what the killer is trying to hide. Where did he find the wood to burn, I wonder?”

“H-He burned the _bookshelf?”_ Tsumugi sounded absolutely horrified.

“Parts of it, to be exact. Since the rest of the parts are still there in the pile. And why did he go to such lengths to take apart the bookshelf? It was another façade of his— _to hide the fact that any parts were missing from it._ “

“So the killer had taken parts away from the bookshelf…” Keito mused. “That explains why in some places, the screws were taken out, while in others, it was simply hacked apart. The killer only needed to handle a few pieces carefully.”

“But, why would the killer need pieces of a bookshelf…?” Tsukasa questioned.

“I believe it has something to do with the puzzle we are trying to solve,” Yuzuru smiled. He was starting to like this a little—it was like hunting down a small animal, knowing that sooner or later it’d have nowhere to hide. “Sakuma-sama, do you have photos of the interior of the UNDEAD Practice Room? If so, I’d like to see them.”

“Of course,” Rei said. “Doggie, the photos.”

“Oi, I ain’t your personal photographer,” Koga growled as he dug out his ID card and tossed it to Yuzuru anyway. The ex-butler bowed his thanks.

Yuzuru studied the photos. He could see the rack of knives, coils of chains, and table holding stakes in the foreground. He also noted the missing candle—the one closest to the door. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was searching for, until his eye caught on something in the background.

It was the ominous Iron Maiden, standing silently and toweringly at the back of the room, watching over everything. He had nearly forgotten about its existence.

The Iron Maiden…The Apega of Nabis.

_“…the machine must be controlled from the back using two enormous levers, most likely requiring two men.”_

Something clicked in his mind suddenly, and his head snapped up.

“Levers…”

“Uhhh…Yuzuru?” Mao asked from beside him. “Did you think of something?”

“I think so.” His smile widened. It had been nothing but a wandering thought, but as he pulled it back aggressively and studied it, he realized how it made sense. “…I know what tool the killer had used now. Rather, _created._ ”

“He created a tool…?” Midori looked mystified.

“Allow me to explain. I know of an ancient torture device, which was operated using two large levers,” Yuzuru said. He was excited now. “Two men handled the back of the contraption, and when they pushed the long handles of the two levers together, the lethal short ends would also close, with enough force to crush a man.” He tried to look for an analogy that was less disturbing. “Think of…a pair of scissors, garden shears, perhaps. That is an example of a tool made from a pair of levers. Now, if someone were to make such a tool from two long boards extracted from a bookshelf—it wouldn’t be too difficult, would it? He would only need a screw at the center to fasten them together, and perhaps to carve out the handles. If the boards are too wide, he could split them in half.”

“H-Hold on…” Tsumugi cried.

“Such a tool could then be used to retrieve items at long distances!” Yuzuru declared. “As long as the levers are long enough—and the bookshelf that was dismantled was one of the longest ones available. Notice, also, that everything taken from the Practice Room was placed quite close to the door. Thus, the killer used Hakaze-sama’s ID card to unlock the Practice Room, and used such a contraption to extract everything he needed to complete the setup of the scene. Later, of course, he cut up and burned it, leaving behind no evidence.”

Keito was speechless. Never could he ever have come up with such a solution. It was a terribly convoluted, nearly unconceivable trick. But if it had truly worked that way, then whoever came up with it was almost certainly a genius. That meant two of them—the killer, and Yuzuru, who had cracked the case. He didn’t like what that meant.

He turned to look at Eichi, standing next to him, and saw that the President’s face was glowing with excitement. He could hear his voice in his mind already— _it’s a stunning display of brilliance. It’s exciting to be up against such a formidable enemy, don’t you think?_

No, Eichi, it’s not.

“But…if that’s true, then I have a question,” Mao said hesitantly. “How did the killer have the tools and supplies to put it all together? He’d need…a screw, a screwdriver, and a saw, probably? But we don’t have those in our school…”

“We do,” Adonis said. “Buchou, you have a toolbox, don’t you?” He turned to Madara. “You used it to build the set for the play.”

Madara looked quite surprised at being pinpointed. “Ahh, that’s right, Adonis-san~ I had it because it was my gift from Kirakuma. You’re right, it has all of the things we mentioned!”

“Is it possible that anyone took those tools from you, Mama?” Arashi asked.

“Well, I suppose so. I left it backstage ever since I was done with the set, and I didn’t look twice at it afterwards—so it would have been easy for any of the cast members to take something.”

“Ugh—does this mean we made no progress at all…?” Makoto groaned. “Since all of our suspects were cast members, anyway…”

“No,” Wataru countered suddenly. “There’s more. What you said has gotten me thinking about something else, Butler-san. All the talk of levers and whatnot—it seems as if our killer is a bit of an engineer, isn’t he? Now, I’d invite you all to look up.”

“Up?” 

“Up, at the sky!” Wataru cried majestically. “But of course there is no sky here, only the ceiling. Now, look closely at the ceiling. What do you see?”

“…A bunch of lights, metal bars, stage contraptions?” Nazuna volunteered. “They were all used in the play…”

“Indeed! And what _don’t_ you see? Sometimes, the real clues are not what’s there; it is what _isn’t_ there that’s important. It is like the ‘curious incident of the dog in the nighttime’!”

Wataru had already spent quite some time looking up, often absentmindedly, the same way one might look at the nighttime stars to clear one’s head. Against the midnight blue backdrop of the stage, he could almost imagine there were stars up there. But only now did he notice, by chance, what was wrong with what he was seeing. It led him toward a conclusion that he didn’t want to make.

“I’m STUMPED, Wataru-nii-SAN,” Natsume said. “Tell us the anSWER.”

“Very well,” Wataru said, keeping on his flawless mask. “The items that are missing are the _flying wires_ that we used in the play—and along with them, the _pulleys_ that allowed the actors to glide up and down.” His face was serious. “There was one question, remaining, that we couldn’t solve. Hasumi Keito-kun, you were the one who had mentioned it.”

“Me?” Keito raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. You had asked… _how Kaoru-kun could have been hanged._ And in particular, _where the killer had gotten the rope._ “

Wataru spread his arms with a flourish. This was the end; the dramatic reveal that must be executed perfectly onstage, and so he would play his part without flaw. “Now, observe! I had figured out the mechanics of how Kaoru-kun had been hanged. First of all—the rope. The killer used the transparent flying wires. They are sturdy enough to hold up a person, and most importantly, they are transparent, which allows the setup of a sneak attack.”

“Secondly—how the attack was done. The killer most likely chose a place where he expected Kaoru-kun to appear. Though I have no evidence to assume this, I believe it may be right in front of the infirmary, where Knights’ Ou-sama had been staying. He had affixed the pulley to the ceiling, where it would be inconspicuous, because most of us do not bother to look up when we are walking—a terrible habit indeed!—and strung the wire around it. One end of the wire had been fastened into a loop.” He played with his long braid, bending one end of it into a loop to illustrate.

“Next, the killer pulled both ends of the wire with him, and waited somewhere where he could not be seen. My guess is he waited in the Light Music Clubroom, directly across from the infirmary, with the door open. Then, he waits until Kaoru-kun approaches, failing to notice the wire. At the moment that Kaoru-kun passes beneath the pulley—“

He once again used his own braid to demonstrate; it was long enough, anyway. He grabbed hold of it and swung it around in the air, making a circle before swinging it out toward the center of the stage in a cowboy-like lasso motion. “He takes the looped end of the wire, and flings it until it catches Kaoru-kun’s neck, like so! _Amazing!_ The prey has been caught, and instantly”—he demonstrates again in a swooping motion—“he pulls down on the other end of the wire. With the pulley in place, Kaoru-kun will be lifted _up.”_

Wataru looked toward the horrified gazes of everyone in the circle. “And with this, _Kaoru-kun is hanged._ It is quick and undetectable, and impossible to fight against. The most brilliant magic show, is it not? And now—here is the part you, my audience, have been waiting for. There is only one person who could have taken down the flying wires and pulleys without anyone noticing. After the show ended, he was the last one who remained backstage, as he was in charge of the stage equipment and set. All of the actors would agree that we did not mess with the wires, nor did we see anyone else doing so, correct? Furthermore, there is only one _talent_ I can imagine that allows someone to engineer and set up all these contraptions so easily. There is only one amongst us that has such a level of omnipotence.” Wataru narrowed his eyes, and with one strong, flamboyant movement, pointed his finger at one person in the circle. “ _Mikejima Madara-kun,_ is what I say correct?”

Dead silence. Madara opened his mouth, closed it again, and then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Goodness! You’re such a jester, Wataru-san—you almost convinced even me for a moment there!” he cried. “I must say, your guess at the method of hanging was quite creative—but jokes aside, we’ve already shown that I’m not the killer.”

“Oh?”

“It was pretty clear, right?” Arashi chimed in. “Mama isn’t one of the people who has your talent, Hibiki-senpai…not like, well, yourself.” He crossed his arms. “The killer has the ability to mimic voices—that’s proven. And if he also needs the ability to build things, then…isn’t it more likely that _you_ have Mama’s talent, Hibiki-senpai? You’ve never told us.”

“Incorrect,” Shu said. “Wataru has _my_ talent.”

“Oh…” Arashi’s hands fluttered to his face.

“The play that was performed today was written by Wataru,” Shu went on, “and that’s something he could only have done with my talent. _Furthermore,_ “—he, too, pointed a finger at Madara—“I do not think it’s _proven_ that Mikejima does not have Wataru’s ability. Has he ever told us?”

A series of shocked murmurs spread through the group as everyone realized one thing. No one knew whose talent Madara had received.

“Oh, had I not mentioned it?” Madara laughed calmly in the midst of all of it. “My apologies for that! I’ll go on and tell you, then—“

“I believe it is better to test you,” Wataru cut him off. In that moment, the clown’s mask had fallen. His expression was entirely humorless as he brought out, from the inside folds of his clothing, a single white pigeon. It was the one he had spotted backstage, during the investigation that night. “We’ll see what your talent _really_ is, yes?”

He let go of the pigeon without giving any command. Immediately, without hesitation, the white bird flew across the circle and perched right on Madara’s shoulder.

“It is as I thought,” Wataru said grimly. “You had trained it.”

“No—“ Madara gritted his teeth and tried forcefully to shake the bird off. His eyes had been twisted into something shockingly sinister. “That’s not true! Absolutely not! I—“

“It’s a checkmate,” Ritsu said lazily. “Mikejimaman.”

Wataru laughed. It was a laugh utterly unlike any of his laughs before. “Be prepared,” he said, “for I’m sure we all have plenty of questions to ask you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have questions? Good! Ask them!! I'll (most likely) explain everything in the next chapter!!
> 
> Did the killer's identity surprise you? I'm pretty happy that unlike last time, almost no one guessed the killer this time XD. But I do think the methods I planned out were very difficult to guess (and require some suspension of disbelief). Please tell me your thoughts on this!
> 
> and follow the official twitter @dr_es_despair if you want to know more!! With that said, see you at the conclusion of the third case!!


	21. 3.7 Class Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe I was already broken when I did it…no…” he clenched his teeth together. “Maybe…all of us were broken…since long ago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the new valkyrie event killed me. RIP quella
> 
> EDIT: whoops I forgot the "end of round 3" summary at the end. added it now.

It wasn’t as though Arashi was a staunch believer in the importance of teamwork or loyalty. He wasn’t so naive to think that he could easily depend on everyone around him. He had joined Knights for the loose sense of independence between its members, and although that had changed quite a bit already, he didn’t dislike how they were before. So all things considered, he should have a familiar acquaintance with the concept of betrayal—but the truth still hit him like a punch to the gut. Of all things…his own, trusted, admired Mama…a _murderer?_

“No…” he whispered. “No. It can’t be.”

But he was wise enough to know the truth when he saw it, and he had already once been forced to accept a reality he didn’t want to admit. So as he clasped his arms around himself, trying to negate the chilling cold spreading all over him, the denial was replaced by a sudden fury.

“Why, Mama?!” he shouted. “How _could_ you? Ou-sama was your best friend!”

Twice, betrayed by those closest to him, and with the betrayal, equally, there was loss. The image of Leo’s serene body inside the coffin floated up in Arashi’s mind again and he felt like he was going to cry.

Across the circle, Madara had stopped fumbling with the pigeon on his shoulder, and straightened himself to his full 180 centimeter height.

“Well, I don’t know how to answer that question, Arashi-san,” he sighed. “Since, of course, I _didn’t_ kill Leo-san.”

“Are you still attempting to cover up even now?” Shu snapped. “Open your eyes and look—all of the evidence is pointing towards you!”

“Mikejima-dono, is what they say true?” Souma looked at Madara, his brows fused. “If so, then I beg you, admit your crime like a man of honor!”

“Well, even if I wanted to admit it, I wouldn’t be able to, ‘cause there’s nothing to admit!” the third-year threw back his head and laughed. “I’ll say it again, even louder if you didn’t hear me the first time—I did _not_ kill Leo-san and Kaoru-san. And, in fact, I have evidence that I didn’t!”

“Oh?” Rei looked toward him curiously. “Please, tell us what it is.”

“Gladly!” Madara exclaimed. “Earlier, now, there was a question that was brought up. I believe it was related to… _how the killer managed to know that Kaoru-san was at the fountain._ The answer we came up with was—the killer was watching from someplace where he could see him, correct?”

Keito nodded. “Indeed.”

“Well, then I have an alibi!” Madara announced cheerfully. “You see, for the entire duration of yesterday, I was backstage, working on the set for the play. I’m pretty certain that I never left during the time that Kaoru-san and Kanata-san were in the fountain—during the afternoon—so I couldn’t possibly have been watching them! Most of the cast members were in and out throughout the day, so I think they can prove that I was always there!”

“Hmm…” Rei traded a look with Wataru. “I think what he says is true. Whenever I was backstage, he was there also…”

“I’ve spent most of my day there, so I, too, believe he’s right,” Wataru said, deep in thought. “But—“

“D-Does that mean we got it wrong after all?” Mitsuru interrupted him, eyes wide in fear and hope. “I don’t think Mike-chan-senpai would kill anyone, yanno! He’s like a hero who helps anyone that he sees…How could someone like that be a killer?”

“Mitsuru-san…” Madara looked toward his junior, an indescribable emotion crossing his face for a moment. It faded as quickly as it came, though, and he didn’t go on.

“Now, I believe we should not jump to that conclusion so fast!” Wataru declared. “After all, the killer has played a wealth of tricks on us already—this is simply another instance where he shouts _Amazing!_ and surprises us! And now, it is up to one magician to shatter the illusions of another. It is a very sad thing to do, but in this case, it cannot be helped.” He pointed towards Madara. “It was the pigeon, wasn’t it?”

The accused man blinked slowly. Finally, Keito asked in his stead, “The _pigeon?”_

“Yes! The delightful creature that flew at you when you were backstage, Keito-kun!” Wataru affirmed. “Do you remember what it had stolen from you?”

“Stolen?” Keito frowned. “Ah—it took my student ID card!”

“Precisely!” Wataru snapped his fingers. “A pigeon wouldn’t do such an unnatural thing unless it were trained to do so. And why would it want a Student ID card? The question had puzzled me for a long time, until you pointed it out yourself.” He smiled knowingly. “Madara-kun, you had trained the pigeon to _use your ID card to take photos of Kaoru-kun,_ am I right?”

Madara’s eyes went wide. “No—that’s nonsense!”

“It is, actually, a pretty old trick in the book,” the long-haired magician replied. “I’ve used it myself several times. You trained the pigeon to follow Kaoru-kun, and bring the ID card along with it, to gather information on your target. The card was set at a mode to automatically take a picture every five minutes. And with that, you have the ability to see far beyond what your eye can reach, even when you yourself are stuck backstage. ☆“

Madara opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, and then closed it. He breathed in and then out, a long, raspy breath that made him sound beastlike. He was losing his cool now. “No—you’re making it up. This is all an illusion—who would believe a thing like that, anyway?!” He slammed a fist down on the railing. “Why do you all trust this clown’s words over mine? Don’t you see how improbable it all is? You’re just fixed on the fact that I’m the killer—what is it that you want from me?! I already lost my best friend—and now you’re saying I killed him?!”

His voice was so full of pain, pure and raw, that for a moment Arashi wanted to reach out a hand to him. But one glance at Madara’s eyes, fiercely glaring with fury and desperation, stopped him from doing it.

_That’s right…he has Hibiki-senpai’s talent now. He’s an actor._

But then…how much of what he said was a lie from the beginning?

“It isn’t an illusion,” Rei said steadily. “Instead of smoke and mirrors, everything we have discussed is fully supported with evidence…Mikejima-kun.”

“Evidence? You call that evidence?” Madara snapped. “I’d say this sort of evidence belongs more in a second-rate mystery novel. The theory you’ve come up with is full of holes.”

“And would you care to point out one of those ‘holes’, I wonder?” Eichi asked with a smile.

“Easy like taking candy from a baby,” Madara said. “Your theory assumes that I—or, the killer— _knew ahead of time_ where Kaoru-san was going to be, and set a trap for him. Isn’t that improbable however you look at it? How should anyone even know if Kaoru-san would be outside in the _first_ place?! It’s not as if I had Natsume-san’s fortune-telling ability with me as well!”

The room fell into silence once more. Rei pressed his lips together and considered carefully. He was nearly certain that they had caught the killer already—but if they couldn’t find a good way to explain this, the entire theory could come crashing down on its head.

And out of the blue, someone spoke. “…’Hypnosis.’”

It was Kanata, standing with his head down, his expression obscured. He didn’t look up as he said again, in a nearly inaudible whisper: “You ‘hypnotized’ Kaoru, rogue.”

Madara froze. “Wha—What are you…talking about?” he managed.

“When I was talking to Kaoru earlier…in the ‘fountain’,” Kanata said slowly, “He ‘told’ me something. He said that he was always feeling ‘sleepy’…and at one point, he ‘passed out’ and then ‘woke up’ in his classroom without remembering anything.” He clenched his fists. “At the time, I thought it was a ‘side effect’ of Ritsu-san’s ability. But that wasn’t the ‘case’. I remember now that ‘hypnosis’ is one of Wataru’s many talents…he had used it on our Souma before, during the ‘Quarrel Festival.’” Kanata looked toward the silver-haired magician, who nodded.

”It’s ‘clear’ then. You ‘hypnotized’ Kaoru using Wataru’s talent. You asked him, and he ‘told’ you where he would be at night, ‘wherever’ that was. Is that good enough? What other ‘evidence’ are you going to come up with to prove your ‘innocence’, rogue? Do you have any?” Kanata looked up and locked eyes with Madara at last. There was a layer of mist clouded over his light green eyes, concealing his emotion—was it anger? Denial? Deep sorrow? Or all of those emotions shoved together into a streaming whirlpool slowly wrenching his heart apart?—“I still don’t ‘believe’ it. The Mama I know wouldn’t become a ‘murderer’ without a reason. There’s more to the ‘story’ than what we ‘see’. _What is it that you’re still ‘hiding’ from us?_ Why you had your ‘sights’ so focused on Kaoru from the ‘beginning’…What he said to you when he was ‘hypnotized’…What he was doing outside in the ‘first place’! There’s too much you haven’t ‘told’ us. _Put down your ‘mask’, Mama, and tell us the ‘truth’!”_

The accused villain wasn’t speaking. The sharp green eyes drilled into him like a spotlight, and he shook his head weakly, backing away, as if it scorched him. At that moment, the big, strong festival man was only a thin leaf shivering in a gust of wind. Because it was Kanata. With anyone else it wouldn’t have mattered; but another word from his most precious person, and he would crumple.

“…………Alright.”

After what seemed like an eternity, he hanged his head in defeat. “…No more lies. Mama will tell you everything.”

A collective hush fell over the group. “So it was really you?” Rei asked. “But—I cannot possibly fathom— _why?_ “

“Why, indeed!” Madara laughed bitterly. “Humans do such strange things sometimes, don’t you think? Once they are fixated on a goal, they will go to every extreme imaginable to achieve it…Aren’t idols just the perfect example, Rei-san? They fight, struggle and cry out…They cut down others and destroy themselves if even for the tiniest glimmer of hope that they could reach what is impossible. Even if somewhere along the line they break. Maybe I was already broken when I did it…no…” he clenched his teeth together. “Maybe…all of us were broken…since long ago.”

“You want to hear the truth, don’t you? Alright then.” Madara dispelled the tears that were threatening to flow, knowing that with Wataru’s talent, he would be able to stave them off as long as he wanted. “You’ve certainly earned it! You all managed to best me. Everything you came up with is true. _I killed Leo-san and Kaoru-san.”_

“As for why…this will take a little explaining. So give this make-believe actor a little time to monologue. There are plenty of things that happened in the dead of night last night…and I guess the start of it—the ‘reason’, was one small thing.”

“Kaoru-san was planning to kill Leo-san.”

 

\--

 

Perhaps no one else would have noticed. On that day, when I relayed Leo’s terrible wish to my good friend Rei, when the door opened and the eavesdroppers were exposed, no one else caught it, but I did. Within the four of them, it was only Kaoru. A swift turn of the face, eyes darted briefly to the side, an unnatural angle on one side of his mouth.

I noticed, because in all the time that I had spent roaming around foreign countries, I had picked up on quite a few useful skills. When communication isn’t possible through the typical means of language, it has to be done through the more subtle cues of gestures, facial expressions, and small movements. I had learned to read those. And, of course, I was always wary. As much as humans are wonderful creatures, those with malicious intent always lurk just around the corner. So, to me, it wasn’t unexpected.

I didn’t say anything at the time. But I found Kaoru later on, in his classroom, and decided to question him for a bit. I definitely never expected to make use of Wataru’s hypnosis ability—but I was glad I had that trick up my sleeve. Life takes interesting turns sometimes, doesn’t it?

“Easy, easy. Focus on the sound of my voice. You’re feeling veeeery sleepy now.”

I didn’t have much on hand, so I was improvising with a piece of chalk that I was swinging back and forth before his eyes. Kaoru was already drowsy, so he fell into a trance pretty quickly.

“……I’m sleepy……”

“That’s it. Now, I’m going to be gentle with you. You have nothing to fear from me. I just want to ask you a few questions, okay?”

“…Uh-huh.”

“Good boy. My first question is, are you planning to kill Leo-san?”

“…Yeah, I am.”

“Why?”

“…Because it’d be fulfilling his wish. If he wants to be killed…and I gain his talent by killing him…it’s not really a bad thing, is it?”

I’d sure heard that one before.

“And you think sacrificing everyone else here to escape is worth it?”

“It…can’t be helped.” Even in his trance, Kaoru suddenly took on a firmer tone. “When I get out…I’ll make their sacrifices worth it. If none of us try, then we’re doomed to stay here forever.”

“…What do you mean?”

“We’re idols, you see? We’re young, we’re supposed to have bright lives ahead of us…but if we stay here and do nothing…it’ll be a life of despair. We’d have to live in fear and watch our friends die one by one…I can’t stand that, you know? I can’t resign myself to fate like that. But here, in the bear’s cage, we’re all too weak to fight back. We’re completely under the control of the mastermind…We can’t do anything. But if I get out, back into the real world…then there’s still a chance! I’ll go to my family—they have some influence after all—I’ll beg them to investigate this mastermind and punish them properly using the laws of the land. I won’t let everyone die in vain—not Anzu-chan, not anyone. Trust me.”

“Who gave you the right? What makes you think _you_ should be the one to escape?”

“If no one else is going to take that chance, then I will, that’s all!” Kaoru replied, his voice desperate. “Everyone believes there’s a way to save everyone and escape…but that’ll just end in tragedy. We live in the real world, not a fantasy land, after all…we can only deal with problems realistically. Sacrifices have to be made. And I’m not going to throw my life away like everyone else and wait for death…!”

Something about what he said troubled me. I still despised all of it, his cowardice, his running from the problem, his sense of self-righteousness. But it wasn’t foreign to me. It was a desperate struggle, like everyone else, like Leo’s, like my own. It was the sprit of an idol, only grittier and stained in the dirt of reality. 

But I didn’t sympathize with him.

“Would you still do it if Anzu were still here?” I asked. “Would you sacrifice her, too?”

He stiffened. “……No.”

“Why not? Is it only because your most precious person already left you that you’re giving up and throwing the rest of us to the sharks? Tell Mama the truth.”

I was pushing forward mercilessly, and I could sense him growing uncomfortable in his seat.

“Yeah…Yeah, you’re right. When Anzu-chan died, I was devastated…but what could I do? I can’t bring her back…She was my only hope for going on here…Life’s not meaningful if she’s gone. If she’s not here, none of it matters anymore.”

“Not even your friends? Your comrades in UNDEAD? _Kanata-san?_ “

“No—no—I don’t know…” Kaoru trembled. “Please…don’t ask anymore…”

“Relax. I won’t hurt you.” In fact, I was itching to punch him in the face right now. “I just want to know a few other things. What are you planning to do with Leo-san’s talent after you get it?”

“…He’s a composing genius, right? So if I had that talent, I could rebuild myself in the entertainment industry…I’d do much better if I had a special talent like that. It’ll help me achieve my dreams. After all, I promised Anzu-chan that I’d become a full-fledged idol for her!”

“You’re mistaken,” I said calmly. He looked at me with wide eyes.

“Genius isn’t a blessing, but a curse…it’ll end up driving everyone that you love away from you. You’ll live a lonely life. You’ll end up regretting everything that you’ve done.” I was speaking mostly to myself, so I don’t know if he heard. “Someone like you, who doesn’t understand the true weight of genius, has no right to carry Leo-san’s talent with him.”

I had been meaning to go easy on him, but I changed my mind.

“When are you planning to kill him? And how?”

“…Tonight. I have Ritsu-kun’s talent, which makes me a lot more active at night…and no one will be watching then. I’ll take a knife and stab him in the infirmary when he’s sleeping. He won’t even hear me. It’ll be quick and easy.”

“I see.” I stood up and threw the chalk away. “Let me say one thing. If you’re willing to kill others for your own profit, then you’d better be prepared to get killed, too.”

And then, with a snap of my fingers, he slipped out of his trance, his head flopping onto the table, and I was already out of the room. Somehow, a cold rage had swallowed me entirely as I questioned him. Maybe it was the way he spoke about Leo, or maybe it was because I knew how crushed Kanata would be if he found out his friend chose to betray him. The rage had slipped into an intent for murder. Was it wrong? Did it mean I was broken? I won’t try to answer that question.

 

\--

 

I was worried he’d change his mind, so that’s why I sent out the pigeon to follow him. Finding the pigeon was a lucky coincidence, since Wataru would surely have noticed if I stole one of his, but there just happened to be a stray white bird loitering on the school grounds. I abducted it and trained it quickly. It would bring photos of Kaoru back to me every half hour or so; if I caught him doing anything strange, like he was going to strike early, or any sign that he was going to give up, I’d change tactics. But he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.

I planned to hang him right in front of the infirmary as he went to kill Leo. A direct attack probably would have worked, too, but he would have a weapon, and he had Ritsu’s ability, which was troubling—I wasn’t too sure what the Sakuma brothers would be capable of at nighttime. If I grabbed a knife from the kitchen, I knew I could overpower him in the end, but it would be a problem if he injured me in the process. Why? Because I didn’t plan on dying just yet.

“Madara-kun! Is the fly system ready for use yet?”

Wataru was waving at me from the center of the stage, a bright grin on his face. He looked pretty ridiculous in the sea monster costume, but he was so comfortable in his role that it didn’t seem the slightest bit unnatural. That was the mark of a wonderful actor.

“Yep! I already attached all three of the harnesses to the wires, and they look sturdy enough to hold.”

“Excellent! We’ll get on to staging the fight scene then!” Wataru looked delighted. “I must thank you for volunteering to help with the set. We would have been in trouble without you.”

“Not a problem at all!” I laughed. “I’m everybody’s Mama, after all—my role is to help whenever the need arises!”

“Well, dear Mama, you have our gratitude!” Wataru gave a swooping bow, then turned back to the stage. “Hokuto-kun, can you move about three paces to the left? That way there is room for the sea monster…yes…that’s right! _Amazing_ ☆…”

I watched as the long-haired actor wave his tentacles around as if they were his own. This was what I had admired about him—his ability to become any role he wished, gentle and loving at times, or menacing when he needed to be. He would have no problem becoming a Mama, someone who guards over those close to him without breaking any of them. That was what I was thinking of when I wrote his name on the quiz. There were plenty of other people I admired, of course, but I didn’t want to write anyone that Kirakuma could threaten me with.

It was just as well, because I would need his treasure trove of talents to carry out what I was planning. Particularly, what to do after committing the murder. If I didn’t want Leo and all the others to die, the only choice was to give myself up—but that would hardly be the end of it for me! With all that I had on hand, I wondered if I could best the mastermind and survive that dreaded “execution”. Izumi had tried and failed, but he wasn’t laden down with talents like I was. It sounded like a good challenge to me—something that might be fun.

 

\--

 

12:25.

That was when things began to fall apart.

Everything was going perfectly smoothly. Kaoru had appeared in front of the infirmary just as he said he would, and I caught him in my trap without a hitch. His weapon had clanged onto the floor as his hands went to his neck and groped at the wire, but it was no use. It was all over within a matter of minutes. The figure hanging stopped struggling at last, and I let out a breath.

That wasn’t too hard, I thought. I was just contemplating whether to let him down or leave him hanging there, when I heard the creak of a door.

The patter of a foot, and the sound of a metal stick.

My blood froze solid.

I saw it, but nothing comprehended. The infirmary door was open. Someone was standing with a pair of crutches. Bright green eyes darting over the scene before him, and then crashing right into my own.

Leo.

He was there.

_Why?_

I had forgotten how to move. A wave of horror washed over me as I realized what all this must look like to him—he, who can’t hear, who should have been inside sleeping, who somehow woke up to his best friend alone in the hallway with a hanged corpse—

“What…are you doing, Mama?” he asked, voice no more than a trembling whisper.

“I—“ My brain was white. “No! Let me explain! This person was trying to kill you—I was trying to protect you—“

He couldn’t hear, of course. He just shook his head slowly, weakly, his expression crossing from shock to disbelief.

“This…this isn’t a dream, right? But I was awake the whole time, so how could it be?” He questioned himself, and then pinched himself hard on the cheek. “ _Ow!_ …It’s not a dream, then.”

“Leo-san…please…listen to me.“

I had no idea why he was there at the time. Now, I’ve realized—it was because of what Adonis had said to him. He said he would be back for him, at 12:30, so he had waited the whole time, and was now coming out to meet him. By a horrible twist of fate, _this_ is what awaited.

“But…why? You killed someone, Mama? Who did you kill?”

“I…” I couldn’t respond, just shook my head slowly.

“You wouldn’t kill me…but you went and killed someone else? Why?” his voice was cracking. “I don’t get it. Is it that you don’t need me anymore?”

“That’s not true! It’s a misunderstanding—“

“I thought…because we were best friends…you would listen. But in the end I wasn’t good enough for you…I wasn’t good enough for anyone…”

He was crumpling, breaking down from the inside. In an instant I was brought back to everything that happened a year ago, when I had watched him fall apart before my eyes with no way to help him. Now it was happening all over again.

“That’s not it—please—Leo-san, listen to me. I really only wanted to protect you—“

He didn’t hear. Instead, he threw away his crutches, hobbled forward, then knelt down and picked up the knife lying on the ground.

In a split second I realized—

— _“NO!!!!”_ —

—he drove the knife straight into himself, buried up to its hilt inside his stomach. Ripped it out. Stabbed himself again.

The layer of red bloomed immediately, dying his entire abdomen in that lurid color, forming a puddle as he fell to the ground, expanding, growing, like roses—

My mind went blank. The next thing I remember was his frail figure, cradled in my arms, the roses still blooming, staining my jacket and my hands in red. It had all happened too fast. Much too fast. I was screaming his name. Crying. And he looked at me weakly with eyes that were beginning to fade.

“…Mama.”

“…?” His breath was so weak, for a moment I was too scared to respond to him.

“You’re not…abandoning me?”

“No! I’m not!” I shook my head as hard as I could. “You’re important to me! Damn it, what have I done to you—why did you—“

“Was I wrong? Am I still your best friend…?” the question was more directed toward himself than me. “If I am, then…Kill me now…Mama.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“Do it…before I die of blood loss…” He coughed, and ruby red drops slid down his lips. “That way you’ll be my killer, and you’ll have my talent…Please, Mama, take that piece of me with you…”

“ _No!_ No, no, Leo-san, you won’t die—I won’t let you—I—“ I stopped, knowing it was futile. With that amount of blood loss, he was finished. I couldn’t save him, even if I tried.

“…Please…”

His eyes were begging me. About how much time did he have left? I thought in a blur. Minutes? Seconds?

“Promise me that you’ll do it, Mama. Take my talent and live…And I’ll be able to go where Sena is…and we’ll listen to all your songs together…” His voice was fading rapidly.

I choked back tears, knowing there was no time left. I grabbed the knife that he had used to stab himself with and pulled it out—

“…I promise, Leo-san.”

—and, with all my strength, plunged it straight into his chest.

His entire body shuddered, and his eyes glazed over. In the mere moments that lasted like an eternity, he seemed to smile just a tiny, tiny bit. ”Sena?" he whispered. “Sena…I’m so glad…I’ve finally found you again…”

He squeezed out those last words, gazing into my eyes, before finally going silent. I think in his final delusion he thought I was his Sena. He died peacefully, with a serene expression, believing wholeheartedly that he was in the arms of someone most beautiful to him.

 

\--

 

“And that’s pretty much how the story ended,” Madara concluded. 

“But…what about the rest?” Souma demanded.

“The rest was simple. You all figured out most of it already. I had made a promise and now I had to do everything I could to keep it, so giving myself up was out of the question. I used every trick in the book to cover up what I had done and frame UNDEAD, so that included faking Kaoru-san’s cause of death, setting up the room, everything. I cleaned up the blood in the hallway and smeared some on the bedsheets in the infirmary, so no one would guess what really happened. I told myself that even if I throw away everything else, I’d make it out so that I can fulfill Leo-san’s wish properly.”

“…I see now,” Rei said. “I had been wondering why you had set up Kaoru-kun’s body so horrendously, while Tsukinaga-kun’s body was done so gracefully. It is because one was a person precious to you, while the other was a threat to that person, isn’t it?”

“Haha! You’re shrewd as always, Rei-san!”

“And the roses that covered Tsukinaga-kun’s stomach wound,” Rei went on. “It’s because you couldn’t stand seeing it, as it brought to you painful memories, correct? …You were suffering, too, Mikejima-kun.”

The murderer paused. “…Actions always have consequences, I suppose,” he said. “In the end, all of this was my fault. I could do nothing other than dirty my hands to protect those I care about—and that’s resulted in a terrible sacrifice.” He lowered his head. “Leo-san was the sacrifice I had to make for everything that I had done. I regret it—but the past can’t be changed. We can only move forward however we can.”

The room was silent. Arashi looked toward Ritsu and Tsukasa, both wearing downcast expressions. Tsukasa had been sniffling ever since he heard about how Leo had died, and Ritsu seemed more withdrawn than ever. Now that he knew the truth, he didn’t know what to feel about Madara anymore. There was still hatred for everything that he had done, but at the same time he didn’t want to hate Mama—their Mama, who had never meant any harm at all to Leo. He was backed into a corner, like so many of them, trying to protect someone he loved.

“Hey, ‘rogue’,” someone said suddenly.

Madara looked toward the only person that called him by such a name. “Kanata-san?”

Kanata was wearing a bitter smile. “Come over. I want to ‘punch’ you.”

“Huh?” Madara blinked. “Are you angry at me? Well, I guess that’s a stupid question—I had betrayed all of you, after all. If you want to, you can beat me up all you like. I won’t mind.” He walked over to Kanata’s place and spread his arms wide. “Go on, Kanata-san, do it.”

Kanata glared at the big man in front of him, and curled his hands up into fists. After taking a few quick breaths, he swung an arm with shocking force toward Madara’s face, with such a fervor that the people around him drew back in fear.

—And then, in midair, just inches from his target, he stopped and opened his hand, and then brought it down on Madara’s head in a heavy chop.

“—Ow! Huh?”

Madara rubbed his head with one hand as he stared at Kanata in confusion. “I thought you were going to—“

“ _You idiot!_ “

Tears rolled down Kanata’s face as he lashed out at the murderer. “I thought I could still ‘rely’ on you. I thought you wouldn’t do something so ‘stupid’, you ‘rogue’! Why did you kill Kaoru?! As much as you say you were ‘protecting’ someone else…as much as he was a ‘coward’ who was leaving his ‘friends’ behind… _If you kill him then you’re doing the same thing!_ “ he cried. “You’ve hurt all the people who were ‘close’ to him…A real ‘hero’ shouldn’t have to do that…A real ‘hero’ should be able to ‘protect’ everyone’s smiles…”

He buried his face in his hands. “…But as much as I want to ‘hate’ you, I can’t…Because you’re not a ‘hero’. You’re everyone’s ‘Mama’. And maybe…if I were in the same ‘situation’…I wouldn’t have been a ‘hero’, either.”

“Kanata-san…” Madara reached out a hand to his crying friend, his expression pained. “I’m sorry. I really am. You can hate me as much as you want, but…” He paused. “You wanted to know why I killed Kaoru-san, right? I guess it’s not fair if I don’t tell you the other reason I had.”

Kanata looked up. “Other reason…?”

“Kaoru-san’s talent,” Madara said. “You may think he’s just a normal person with no special talent, but to me, he has something irreplaceable…I knew when I saw you two in the fountain. _His talent is being able to get close to you, Kanata-san._ It’s something that I was never able to do, even until now.”

“Huh…?”

“I never would’ve abandoned you, Kanata-san,” Madara went on. “Even if you hated me forever afterwards. Even if I escaped and you all were to be executed, I would have done everything I could to bring you out with me. Even if I had to cut down a thousand of those bears to do it. I won’t lose.” He smiled sadly. “But none of that matters anymore. I’ve failed already, so I’ll have to go on without you. I’m really sorry. Please, look after yourself, and everyone else, while I’m gone. I’m sure that you’ll be a far better hero than I ever was, Kanata-san.”

Kanata looked into his childhood friend’s sad, gentle eyes, and it was stupid, utterly stupid, but for a moment there, he thought he could see Kaoru standing there, wearing the same gentle expression, the familiar smell of sea salt drifting from him as it always had. And he felt in his heart that Kaoru was saying the same things to him.

That was when he couldn’t take it anymore; he burst into tears completely.

 

\--

 

The moment didn’t last long.

“All right, you lot. Enough with the sappy confessions! It’s pretty much time that we came to a conclusion, isn’t it?” Kirakuma’s jarring voice startled all of the students, pulling Kanata and everyone else back to reality.

“Yes, indeed! I’ve told you everything there is to tell; let’s bring this to the grand finale!” Madara called out, returning to his spot in the circle. “Kirakuma-san, go on and start the voting!”

“Oh? Facing death so calmly, even calling out your own judgment…” Kirakuma grinned. “There’s not many like you out there. Well then, take note of the names and photos on your monitor screens, little idols! Select who you think is the murderer now, and cast your vote!”

Everyone complied. As a flurry of clicks resonated across the auditorium, one person’s voice rang out. “Madara-kun! There is one last thing I’d like to ask you.”

“Hm?” The murder looked up in surprise after clicking on his own monitor. “Wataru-san? Go ahead; I’ll answer as long as I could!”

“Regarding the pigeon,” Wataru said seriously. “You did say you found it loitering on the school grounds, yes? _Where exactly_ did you find it?”

“Hibiki,” Keito said, exasperated, “I don’t think this is an important question—“

“It _is_ important!” Wataru insisted. Behind them, the screen had already lowered onto the stage, and the results of the vote were beginning to tally upon it. “I will explain later, but Madara-kun—do you remember?”

“Hmm…The pigeon…” Madara frowned slightly. “I found it at the back of the school, near the grounds, perched on a tree…Why?“

“The north side?” Wataru’s face suddenly changed. “That cannot be…”

“What’s wrong? Is it—“

“ _The results of the vote have been decided!_ “ Kirakuma’s booming voice interrupted them. “Rejoice, you lot, you have made the right decision once again. The unanimous vote has gone to the killer of this round—Mikejima Madara. You’ve outperformed yourselves once again, solving a case as complex as this one! I’m quite impressed, really! And now, Mikejima Madara-kun must face his righteous _punishment!_ ”

“Well, that’s it, then!” Madara laughed. “I guess we’re out of time!”

“ _Mama!_ “ Kanata cried, as four Kirakumas appeared on both sides of the stage, rushing towards Madara’s spot.

“Don’t worry!” The convicted man called out with a cheery smile. “Mama will just be going off on another long trip to a new world. So it’ll be farewell for now, but”—he didn’t flinch as the Kirakumas took hold of him and began dragging him offstage—“maybe someday we’ll meet again! And then I’ll tell you about allllll the things that have happened! Alright?” He managed to pry loose an arm, and waved it merrily in the air until he was out of sight.

Wataru’s talent had paid off. To the end, he did not cry.

 

\--

 

After a while, the display on the screen flickered on again, and suddenly the stage was engulfed in joyous sounds that clashed with the bleak atmosphere horribly.

On the screen, hundreds of Kirakumas were engaged in some sort of huge festival. Bright lights and paper lanterns dotted the night sky. Food stalls and vendors populated the area as far as the eye could see. There were singers, dancers, bears banging on drums and strumming on guitars, all of it joining together into a cacophony of merry music. 

Through the center of it came a parade of bears, chanting and carrying a large structure atop their shoulders—it was a _mikoshi_. Sitting in the _mikoshi_ , with arms and legs tied up, was none other than Madara. The fact that he was being taken to his death evidently didn’t matter much to him, as he was gleefully looking around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the thing he liked the most.

“Haha! It’s a festival, a festivaaaal!” he called out. “I sure missed these the whole time!” 

“ _Wasshoi! Wasshoi!_ “ the bears chanted, as they moved closer and closer to their destination. If one squinted one could see it looming up in the distance—some sort of large contraption shaped like a rocket, situated near a glimmering lake with dragon boats gliding across it, jutting out above all the festivities. Printed on its side were two characters.

“ _Hanabi_ …Fireworks, huh,” Madara said, as he leaned forward for a closer look at the object. Certainly, there couldn’t be a festival without fireworks! But even he hadn’t ever seen a firework so big.

“ _Wasshoi! Wasshoi!_ “ As he spoke, the bears reached the giant firework and set down the _mikoshi_ next to it. A few of them jumped onto the _mikoshi_ and carried Madara down; two more bears appeared with a length of rope. They made quick work tying him down securely to the outside of the explosive device.

“No way!” Tomoya yelled from outside the screen. “They’re not going to—“

“Ah! I see what you’re doing!” Madara laughed. “It’s really exciting, isn’t it? I’ll be able to see the entire festival from high in the sky—“

A bear stuffed a gag into his mouth, probably for no reason other than the fact that he was annoying. Another bear approached bearing a blazing torch, and he lit the fuse connected to the giant firework.

All the bears gathered around the firework in a wide circle as the fuse burned and they counted down. “Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven...”

Precisely when they reached “Zero”, the firework shot straight up into the night sky with a loud whistle and the bears erupted into a wave of cheers. And then the sky exploded into a hundred fire flowers, lighting up the festival in a spectacular mix of reds, greens, and blues that blinded them and almost made it seem like daylight. They formed exquisite patterns and shapes that crisscrossed the heavens. For a few eternal moments the sounds of the explosions resonated and the flares of the fireworks lasted; their reflections lit up the entire surface of the lake which shimmered even more vividly than it had before. Everyone stared, mesmerized, at the display all the way until it ended. It was the most dazzling light show they had seen in their lives.

 

\--

 

4:45 AM.

Wataru stood alone at the very front of the school, the southernmost tip of their small island. He was standing a few feet beyond the school gates, looking toward the vast ocean that lay before him. In the distance, there were just a few hints of morning light. Dawn would come soon.

He was thinking back to a day many sunrises and moonrises ago. Of all the things that had happened since then, it was almost insignificant. But it was here, when they had first arrived on this island, that he had set off two of his pigeons with a mission to search for land. Chiaki was still there then, and he had been watching as the birds flew far away, into the horizon and out of sight. And now, one of them was back. It was the pigeon that had attacked Keito backstage. The pigeon that Madara had found and trained.

Yet he had found it _on the other side of the school._

Wataru had trained his pigeons very well. He had given them two simple commands: fly straight, using the position of the sun as a guide, and bring back a tree branch after reaching land. If all went well, they would either be gone forever, or return, _to the same place_ , where he was standing now.

He had been keeping an eye on this beach since, and he didn’t see any sign of the birds, so over time he had forgotten. But even if one of them returned when he did not notice, it would have flown straight to the Drama Clubroom, as it had been taught. So why in the world would a pigeon turn up on the north side of campus, near the grounds?

—That is, if Madara’s words were to be trusted. But what reason did he have for lying?

As he contemplated, a soft footstep sounded behind him. “Wataru?”

He turned. “Ah, Your Majesty the Emperor. Have you come all this way to search for me?”

The emperor smiled. “I was wondering where you were. Are you thinking about something?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing important.”

“Are you sure? You seemed pretty concerned when you asked Mikejima-kun about the pigeon earlier,” Eichi remarked. “What was the meaning behind that?”

“I cannot quite fathom it, myself,” Wataru replied with a gracious smile.

“That sounds like something important.”

“But it is a topic for another day,” Wataru countered. “Come, Eichi, it is cold outside and I can see that you’re tired. Let us return to the dorm and catch up on some much-needed rest.”

“I’m fine,” Eichi said, but he didn’t resist when Wataru wrapped an arm around him and steered him back the way he had come. “My body will still be in perfectly good shape for a few more hours, you know.”

“Even so, don’t you think we deserve a rest?” Wataru chided. “Even I need my eight hours of sleep per day to perform at my best! Were you perhaps not expecting that?”

Eichi chuckled, and the two of them walked back together toward the dorms, aimlessly chatting. Certainly, whatever the pressing matter was, it could wait till another day.

 

\--

 

Hinata tiptoed alone down the corridor of the western school building. There had been something lingering on his mind after the trial ended. One final, unanswered question—and he was determined to solve it by himself.

After all, both Sakuma-senpai and Tomoya were so cool when they played the detective role and answered all the questions! Why couldn’t he give it a shot, too?

The thing on his mind was Madara’s toolbox. Based on everything they’d figured out, it had played an important role in the murder. However, _none of them had ever found the toolbox._ The killer must have specifically hidden it somewhere, Hinata thought, because if anyone found the toolbox, it would have been much easier to think of all the mechanisms that he had created.

But where was it? During the investigation period, everyone had spread out like usual to search all over the school. The only places that were open during the night were the clubrooms, the library, the infirmary, the cafeteria, and everywhere outdoors, and all of those had been covered. Now, after thinking for a long time, and turning over all his options, Hinata had a guess in mind. Surely, if it was Madara, he would hide it in the place where no one would ever think to look.

He pushed open the door to the reference room, and then walked down the stairs to the underground archives, situated right below it. He flicked on the lights and immediately saw the wrecked bookshelf in one corner. It hadn’t been touched since it was discovered during the investigation process, probably.

He moved to the wreckage, and moved a few splintered pieces of the bookshelf away. Then, holding his breath, he began digging through the large mound of books, grabbing hardcover volumes in both hands and tossing them aside until he reached the bottom of the pile. He stuck out one hand, and to his delight, it touched upon something large and rectangular.

“ _Yes!_ I was right!”

Hinata pulled out the toolbox, a big brown case made of sturdy wood, and opened it. Inside were a fancy assortment of all sorts of tools, from hammers and nails to a screwdriver and a small handsaw. _Jackpot._ He knew he had a big, dumb grin on his face from the joy of having figured something out. Sure, it was probably all thanks to Rei’s talent—but he’d rather believe that _he_ was the one who did all the work.

Now, as for what to do with his discovery…actually, he didn’t think he’d get this far.

Hinata frowned and looked over the toolbox one more time. He paused to think for a short while. And then, as if coming to a decision, he snapped the toolbox shut, tossed the stray books back onto the pile, turned off the lights, and left the room with his prize in tow.

 

\--

 

Ritsu and Arashi had probably gone back to the dorms already, so Tsukasa had the music room to himself.

The room was dark, but the soft filter of light outside was enough to see by. Someone had left the window open, and the chilly breeze flowed through the room, ruffling his hair and the pages of the notebook he was carrying. It had been his notebook for Leo. It was covered mostly in his Leader’s scribbly, messy musical scores, but several new pages had since been added with his own compositions. He had tried to compose as much as he could, in accordance with his Leader’s wish.

Tsukasa sat down at the piano and set the notebook open in front of him. He had never learned how to play the piano. But right now, as he placed his hands on the keys, his fingers knew. Leo had been able to play.

“…Leader. If you’re watching from somewhere right now, will you listen to the songs I’ve written?”

He started at the back of the notebook, the newest things he had written, everything he had scribbled down while crying in front of Leo’s corpse. His fingers struck a chord, which turned into a long, flowing melody. Leader, who had forgotten his name and then challenged him to a duel. Leader, who was always whimsically getting lost or scribbling on walls. Leader, who loved his kitten friends so much. Leader, who was willing to do everything for his comrades in Knights. Leader, who had been through so much, who had taught him everything he could, whom he had never understood properly, until now. Tsukasa wished he could capture all of him within a song, but it was impossible. His Leader was always like that, ever-changing, unpredictable, but also an unparalleled genius. He was like the notes that flowed through his fingertips now, some long and winding, some short and staccato, weaving together to create a layered melody that was as surprising as it was beautiful.

_This is Leader. This is what he sounds like._

He worked his way back through the notebook, playing every song that he had written since he had gotten Leo’s talent. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but it felt like he’d been playing for hours when he finally stopped at one song. It was where the two handwritings—neat and messy—met each other. The song that he had finished for Leo, called _Rhapsody of the Darkness_. It was at once the end and the beginning.

Outside, the sun was rising. Tsukasa took a deep breath and placed his hands on the keys one last time. His fingers followed the scribbled score—two heavy notes, and then a string of lighter ones. He played on, wishing to burn the music into his mind as much as possible, before the morning came and the talent was lost forever.

 

 

\- END OF ROUND 3 -

Survivors: Tetora, Hajime, Tomoya, Hinata, Midori, Shinobu, Yuuta, Mitsuru, Tsukasa, Sora, Hokuto, Makoto, Souma, Adonis, Natsume, Koga, Ritsu, Mao, Yuzuru, Arashi, Mika, Keito, Eichi, Shu, Kuro, Wataru, Kanata, Rei, Nazuna, Tsumugi

Survivor count: 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was definitely a very, very difficult thing to write. Please do leave your thoughts on it and the case as a whole! I'm crying for leo and mama and kaoru and kanata and literally everyone ;_;
> 
> I tried very hard to describe the inner motivations of each of the characters, especially when they weren't all black-and-white. The fact that every character has different morals and values is something I love about enstars though.
> 
> This whole thing was far more complex than I intended (cries) but I hope it was worth getting through this monstrosity of a case! I'll probably post more thoughts on the official twitter @dr_es_despair in due time. Also, I'll take a longer break this time to plan out the fourth case, but expect a filler chapter somewhere in between!
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking with me and see you next time!!!


	22. 3.8 Between the Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really short side story set in between the events of the third case. I felt that I wouldn't be doing this motive justice if I didn't include it. Please enjoy~!

_12:30 AM._

Wataru awoke to a pair of cold hands on his neck.

His eyes fluttered open, and his expression remained still as he caught sight of the pale blond hair dangling slightly above his face. His assailant was bent over him, gazing at him intently.

“…Eichi.”

“Ahaha…I thought you would wake up, Wataru.”

The Emperor smiled as he said that, but showed no sign of releasing him or moving away. Wataru held still as well. He could probably fight back—even though Eichi’s body was fully healthy now, he was not quite used to physical exertion, so Wataru could still overpower him. But that wasn’t important. He didn’t want to fight back because that was not the role he was meant to play.

“Have you decided to kill me now?” he asked calmly.

Eichi’s expression was pained. His fingers tensed a little, but he wasn’t applying pressure yet. 

“You know, Wataru…I had a lot of fun at the play tonight.”

“Is that so? I’m glad to hear it.”

“I was so immersed in the performance that I lost sight of all else…The few hours that I got to spend onstage with your talent was an utter miracle. I can’t remember myself ever being happier. Do you ever feel that way?” Eichi asked, almost in a trance. “When you’re able to display such a breathtaking talent onstage…When you’re able to recite your lines and move your body in just the right way and see the surprised expressions on the audience’s faces…Do you feel that it’s a miracle?” 

“Of course I do,” Wataru chuckled. “But I have been doing it all my life, and not only have I grown used to it, the people around me have also become bored. Humans are greedy creatures—once they grow tired of one thing they endlessly wish for more—so I haven’t been feeling it as much of late.” He smiled. “But seeing others perform is a different matter. When I watched you all during the play, filling the stage with such brilliance… _that_ was a true miracle. You never fail to surprise me, Eichi.”

Eichi returned his smile. “So is that why you took a minor role this time instead of starring like you usually do?”

“Indeed it is!”

“I see. You had me quite confused there. _A sea monster? Really?_ —is what I was thinking.”

Wataru threw back his head and laughed, and a strand of hair fell into his face. Laughing along, Eichi used one hand to carefully brush the hair aside, while keeping his other hand firmly on Wataru’s neck.

“Anyway…” Eichi said after the laughter died down. “I should thank you for the play, Wataru. Maybe I should thank Kirakuma as well, since it all began with his doing. Performing with your talent was a dream come true. But…” he paused, his expression darkening.

“…But when the lights dimmed and the curtains closed, I found myself back in reality. It was almost crushing, as if I was once again hooked up to a breathing machine after taking a breath of fresh air for the first time… I couldn’t bear the fact that just upon touching the realm of my dreams…upon witnessing this miracle…I would have to lose it all over again.” Eichi’s voice was weak, almost desperate. “I know I shouldn’t do it. It’s bound to end in failure. I don’t even have a plan in mind. But the talent will be gone by next morning, and I felt that if I didn’t do something, all of it would slip right through my fingers.”

“Well, it won’t be slipping through your fingers,” Wataru replied. He reached out and placed his hand softly over Eichi’s, which was still on his neck. “You’re grasping it tightly right here, after all.”

“Is that a joke, Wataru?”

“No. I am being serious.” he smiled. “I would advise against doing it, Eichi.”

“Why?” Eichi’s voice wavered. “You don’t understand what it’s like—like being a bird trapped in a cage. Being able to see where your greatest hopes and dreams lie, but never being able to reach them. Even if I wanted to, I could only do it by knocking over everything in my way…You wouldn’t have to do that. You’re a free bird, capable of flying anywhere you desire…Because you’re a genius. And more than that—“

“Eichi.”

“— _more than that, you’re healthy!_ You don’t need to live under the constant fear of overexerting your body. Or the fate of an early death. All this time, my illness was the chain that tied me down to the ground, preventing me from ever being able to fly. I can’t stand it—having to put that chain back on again—“

Eichi stopped, unable to say any more. Wataru thought he saw something glistening in the corner of his eye, like a precious jewel.

“Eichi. I understand. If only I could, I would pass forward everything that I have to you without hesitation.”

“You would…?” Eichi’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean? You don’t mean you’re really willing to sacrifice yourself—“

“I am,” Wataru said easily. “I’m certain that if you were to gain all my talents and go on to live a long life, you could accomplish far more than I ever would,” he continued. “So I would become your sacrifice and allow you to entertain the world in my stead. However, right now that is impossible.”

“…?” Eichi looked at him, dumbfounded.

“Don’t you remember? You said it yourself, Your Majesty the Emperor. It is too dangerous for you to commit a murder now. Imagine—what would happen if you killed me by strangling me right now? If I were found dead in my room after the party was over, and you my roommate? Sadly, it would not look too well for you!” Wataru laughed without a care. “If you attempted to lengthen your life only to die even sooner, then it is not worth it. I want you to live a long life, Eichi.”

“Then I’ll think of another way to do it. I’ll give myself an alibi. Give me some time, and I’ll surely—“

“Now, now, relax,” Wataru said, grabbing hold of Eichi, who was about to frantically stand up. “Even if you made an attempt, it would be far too dangerous. You’re already distrusted by most of the students, and it would be far too easy for them to suspect you. Do not be so reckless with your life; that is not the job of an Emperor. It is up to the Emperor’s loyal subjects to make the sacrifices, is it not?”

“But then…I would never be able to gain your talent,” Eichi said weakly.

“And you do not need to,” Wataru responded. “For you already have the talent within you.”

“Within me?”

“You have me by your side,” the long-haired jester smiled. “And I am your left hand, correct? I will always be a part of you. You may use me however you wish; if you wish to fly, I will soar the heavens with you. If you wish to battle, I will sink to the lowest levels of hell with you. Is that not enough, Your Majesty the Emperor?”

Eichi hesitated. He looked into Wataru’s calm, lilac-colored eyes, and felt as if he were slowly being pulled back from the edge of an expansive void.

“…I suppose it is.”

“Well, then, _Amazing!_  Don't worry, you will live a long life, Eichi.”

The Emperor let out a slight chuckle. “Perhaps I will. But...Wataru, promise me that you will not die before me.”

Wataru took hold of Eichi’s left hand, the one that had previously been on his neck, and brought it to his lips for a brief moment.

“Of course. I promise, Your Majesty.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for the filler chapter! The first chapter of the fourth case will be up in approximately two weeks. I'm working on it so please stay tuned! As usual if you have any comments at all please feel free to post them!! I welcome any feedback including criticism, especially now, so I can make the next case better!! :D


	23. 4.1 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was like a forewarning, he remembered vaguely thinking. Whatever was happening to this island, it certainly wasn’t a good thing—it was, no doubt, the beginning of another tragedy the bear had ordered upon them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm finally back with the new case!! It feels like I haven't updated in forever, I'm sorry ;_; But I hope you enjoy this opening chapter! This new case requires a LOT of setup, cause it's the most complex thing I've done so far. I hope I can continue to surprise you!!

As Eichi opened his eyes the next day, the familiar weight in his body and constriction in his chest had fallen into his body once more. He sighed, laying a hand on the bedpost to steady himself as he sat up, even that tiny amount of effort causing his breath to quicken just by a sliver. It was back again, that crushing, suffocating feeling of drowning in his own body that he had been far too acquainted with throughout his life. He hated it.

Wataru wasn’t in the room; he must have headed outside to cause whatever mischief he felt like making today. The blinds were shut, so Eichi couldn’t see outside. He spared a glance at the clock on his bedside table—5:50 PM. So he had slept through almost the entire day.

The events of the previous two days still echoed inside him like a lasting dream. Surely, he would from here on remember them as the most amazing, most glorious two days he had ever experienced, all the way until his deathbed. Perhaps then he would regret not following through with his plan. He would chide himself for being too soft, for being captured by that clown’s words. But even if that were so, he could do nothing about it anymore. The dream had disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, and he could only live on, make good use of his life well earned, and eventually look death in the eye when it comes knocking on his door.

_knock knock knock_

“—?!” Eichi started, staring at the door where the sound had just come from. Was death really here to take him away already?

“Eichi, are you in there?” Keito’s annoyed voice sounded from outside. “Goodness, how incorrigible. I don’t recall you're such a heavy sleeper."

Oh. Not death, but arguably just as unpleasant.

"I'm here, Keito," he called back, "but I collapsed when I was getting out of bed and hit my head, and now I can’t get back up…please, I need help...“

"Eichi? _Eichi!_ " The voice outside turned frantic. "No—stay with me, Eichi—I’ll get you out of here—just wait a moment! Why now, of all times—“ and then, an aggressive rattling of the doorknob, accompanied by loud bangs on the door. " _Damn_ it!"

Stifling a chuckle, Eichi stood up and tiptoed across the room as Keito continued to attempt to break down the door, intending to open it when he was least expecting it and give him a small heart attack. But just as his hand was about to reach the doorknob, another voice suddenly rang out from the other side.

"It's no use, you know, Keito-kun!"

Eichi stopped. There was only one _thing_ he knew of that had such an unsettling, ear-grating voice.

“Wh—Kirakuma?" Keito said on the other side, clearly shaken. "What are you doing here? No, since you're here—open the door! You can open it, can't you?!"

“Well, maybe theoretically I could,” the malicious voice replied, and Eichi could almost hear the grin on the bear’s face. “But why should I? It isn’t much of my business. Oh, and you won’t have any luck trying to break down that door. All of the technology I use is state-of-the-art! You’d need something like a flamethrower to be able to put a crack in it! Ahahaha!”

“How incorrigible…” Keito groaned. “Then I have no choice. I will break my one golden rule, and run in the hallways in an attempt to find Hibiki!”

“Keito.” Eichi pushed open the door just as his childhood friend was turning to sprint down the corridor. He was trying hard not to laugh. “I suppose I should be honored that you’re willing to go to such lengths for me.”

“ _Eichi?_ “ The Vice President’s eyes were round as saucers.

“Oh-ho-ho?” Kirakuma said, looking upon it all with piqued interest.

“You—I thought you really were dying!” Keito squared up into Eichi’s face, holding up one hand as if to slap him, but only ended up adjusting his glasses with it. “So this was a joke all along?”

“I didn’t think you would fall for it that easily.”

“I cannot stand your childish games. We are in a serious situation here, Eichi,” Keito folded his arms. “Death walks among us all. I worry every day for your safety, whether due to your illness or otherwise. I beg of you, do not make death a laughing matter. At least respect the life you have now, and live for as long as you can, do you understand? I don’t want any more people dying if I can help it!”

“All right—spare me the lecture,” Eichi sighed. “I was just trying to have a little fun with you. After all, I’m used to being under the threat of death constantly. This is really nothing new to me.” He paused. “More than that, I think you mentioned something about being out of time…is there something you’re in a hurry to do?”

“Of course there is!” Keito snapped back to attention. “Haven’t you heard the announcement? Kirakuma wants us to gather in the gym at 6PM!”

“Is that so? I guess I slept through it.” Eichi raised his eyebrows.

“How could you sleep through—“

“Well, there’s no time to dawdle!” Kirakuma cut in with his taunting smile. “I would advise you two to leave as soon as possible to avoid the punishment for being late~ Shall we say, last one there is a rotten egg! Or, I wonder what the Japanese equivalent of that is…?” he pondered, as he waved one furry paw and disappeared.

“What was that about?” Keito muttered, as he spared a glance at his watch. “Oh, no.”

“We have two minutes. Looks like you’ll be running in the halls after all,” Eichi remarked with a smile.

“Whose fault do you think _that_ is?!”

 

\--

 

They eventually made it with only a few seconds to spare. As Keito rushed into the gym supporting Eichi, who was panting quite a bit, he could see all the other students had already gathered. No one was speaking. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, or if the room seemed unnaturally sparse; everyone seemed to be putting even more distance between each other than usual. Perhaps it was because they were becoming increasingly frightened—either that, he reasoned, or because their numbers were slowly dwindling, making the room ominously emptier.

Kirakuma was at the front of the room, and beamed when he saw the last two students enter. “Excellent! We have full attendance today as well!” he announced gleefully as soon as the doors closed. “Now, I could have called this meeting a lot earlier in the day, but I am a very generous bear, so I thought it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t give you lot some time to rest after the last trial. You’ve earned it, after all!” He cackled.

“Gee, I wonder how we can thank you enough for that,” Ritsu muttered.

“Oh, there’s plenty you’ll be thanking me for when this is over,” the bear smirked. “Now, it’s Quiz Time for you all! Is there a clever student that knows what will be happening this meeting?”

“It’s not hard to guess at all,” Hokuto sighed. “You’ll be opening the new Unit Practice Room, won’t you?”

“Indeed! Bravo, bravo!” Kirakuma clapped his paws together. “I’m sure it’s something you lot are _eagerly_ looking forward to. However, this time, we’ll be doing something a little bit different!”

“Different?” Keito tensed up when he heard that.

“Of course. I did mention that the Unit Practice Rooms were prizes for successfully getting through a murder, didn’t I?” Kirakuma said. “And yet, last time, you lot performed something even more extravagant—you managed to solve a _double murder!_ That is certainly a greater feat than what you had previously done, don’t you think? So, in order to commemorate the double murder of the last case, I will accordingly open _two new rooms_ for you! Isn’t that fun? Isn’t that exciting?!”

“Two rooms…?”

Keito narrowed his eyes, because despite how cheerfully the bear had said it, he knew this was horrible news. Up until now, all the units that received a room had, without exception, met terrible fates. The Unit Practice Rooms were far from a gift—they were curses of destruction. And now the bear was trying even harder to destroy them.

"So, without further ado, will the unit leaders please come forth?" the bear continued, producing his jar full of slips of paper. "Remember, there will be _two_ slips with a star on it this time! ☆"

"I suppose we have no choice, then," Eichi said, walking forward.

Keito kept to the back of the line, choosing to take his turn last, after everyone else had chosen, while offering up a quick Buddhist prayer for the unlucky fate to spare him. By the time he grabbed his slip and rejoined Eichi, the President had already unfolded his paper.

“Do you have it?” Keito looked over his friend’s shoulder.

“No.” Eichi’s tone was mildly disappointed. “And I thought I was feeling lucky today.“

“Don’t treat it like it’s a good thing,” Keito snapped.

A gasp erupted from somewhere beside them, and Keito swirled his head around to look for the origin of the voice. It turned out to be a shocked, trembling Nazuna, who was holding his paper at arm’s length before him, as if he couldn’t believe it was real.

“N-No way! I-I gawd it?” he stuttered, as Tomoya, Hajime, and Mitsuru rushed to his side, telling him to calm down.

“Nito…” Keito muttered in disbelief. So one of the rooms had gone to Ra*bits. Somehow, the concepts of the cute first-year unit, and the dangerous Practice Rooms just couldn’t go together in his mind. He couldn’t imagine what their room could possibly look like. Isn’t the whole idea of them receiving a room full of weapons contradictory from the very beginning?

“Wh-Who got the other one?” Nazuna managed to say without biting his tongue. “There were two, weren’t there?”

A pause, a flurry of shaken heads, until Eichi finally gave Keito a nudge. “Have you looked at yours yet?”

No, he hadn’t. In the midst of everything he had forgotten all about it. Keito gulped as he looked down at his hand, where he was still clenching the folded slip tightly. Slowly he opened it, and his spirits sank immediately when he saw he saw the scribbled star.

“Aw, you’re lucky,” Eichi chuckled.

“Hasumi no danna! Do you have it?” Kuro called out to him. He nodded briefly and held up the slip of paper. There was no use hiding the truth, after all. 

“Keito-chin…” Nazuna looked equally surprised that Akatsuki was the other recipient. He seemed to want to say something, but Kirakuma cut him off.

“Wonderful! Ra*bits and Akatsuki will receive their Unit Practice Rooms this time around!” he declared. “However, the fun doesn’t stop here. I’ve saved the best for last—there will be a _third_ Unit Practice Room that opens today!”

“ _Third?!_ “ Keito turned toward Kirakuma, astounded. “Why so many, all of a sudden?!”

“Well, you see,” Kirakuma said, “One of your fellow students, Mikejima Madara-kun, died during the last trial, didn’t he?”

“Yes, so…?”

”He was the only member of his unit, you see,” the bear went on. “With him dead, it would mean that the Unit Practice Room that I had prepared so carefully for him would never be used. All that effort to waste! An utter tragedy!” he wiped at his eyes for added effect. “So in order to prevent that from happening, I’ve decided to _open his room to everybody._ That’s right! _All of you_ can enter the MaM Practice Room, and use whatever materials inside for free!”

“Y-You’ve got to be kidding me…” Nazuna’s face was white.

“A new room full of weapons for _everyone_ to use?” Yuzuru narrowed his eyes. “This sounds rather intriguing.”

“Whoa—It’s like a bonus prize was unlocked!” Sora called out. “Sora is curious what might be inside! Can we go check it out?”

“Hold on,” Rei said calmly. “Before we go…Kirakuma, do you plan to do this in the future as well? If all members of a unit die, then their room is open to everyone…?”

“We’re _not_ letting anyone else die!” Nazuna yelled.

Rei looked surprised at the sudden rebuke. “Yes, of course. But just in case…”

“We’re _not_ ,” Nazuna said through gritted teeth. “Don’t even think about it for another second. I’ll _personally_ make sure no one else here dies, no matter what it takes!”

“Grand words, little rabbit,” Kirakuma chuckled. “I’d love to see if you can turn that into a reality. It’ll be just as entertaining as the murders themselves, perhaps! …Oh, but to answer your question,” he turned back to Rei, “Yes, once all the members of a unit die, their room will be open to everyone! Consider that a new rule I just made up, heh-heh.”

“I see.” Rei nodded curtly and didn’t say anything more. Keito noticed dark circles under his eyes; could it be that the vampire had barely slept since the end of the last trial?

“—All right!” Nazuna stamped his foot on the ground, calling for attention. “We’ll look at what’s in these rooms, but I’m going to make sure that none of my unit members _ever_ touch anything dangerous!”

“I stand with Nito.” Keito stepped forward, adjusting his glasses. “As the fellow recipient of a room, I will also see to it that our room is not used maliciously. I will swear an oath to all of you, with my life on the line, if I need to.” He turned toward his unitmates. “Kiryu, Kanzaki. Are you two with me on this?”

“Whatever Hasumi-dono commands, I will follow,” Souma asserted.

“Every step of the way,” Kuro nodded.

“Good. Well, then,” the Vice President traded a glance with Nazuna, his face serious. “Let us go see what horrible gifts have been bestowed upon us this time.”

 

\--

 

Sometimes, Tomoya would imagine what it would be like if he were in a cooler, more masculine unit, like Akatsuki. The traditional unit that was equally tough and beautiful onstage had never failed to impress him. Whether it was during the first time they had ever clashed, leaving Ra*bits helpless, or their next battle on the Tanabata stage, or even more far beyond, he had admired the strength and unity that comprised that unit, every stroke of a sword and wave of a fan directed with such intense but steady power. 

So, to his delight, the Akatsuki room managed to step up to every single one of his grandiose expectations. He already had some idea of what might be in it—perhaps an assortment of samurai swords, or ninja weapons like shurikens—but Kirakuma didn’t stop there. Once Keito opened the door, baring the room’s contents for the crowd to gawk over, he could see that it was stocked up to the brim with every traditional weapon that he knew the name of, and plenty more that he didn’t. Bathed in a soft red light were swords of all shapes and sizes. Japanese bows, metal chains, large curved rods, throwing daggers and throwing stars, sickles, spiked accessories. There was even a wall lined with lavishly decorated war fans. He wasn’t sure what use that might serve, but they sure looked cool.

“This…is unbelievable!” Souma exclaimed, his voice a few pitches higher than normal. “Some of these are precious weapons that even my own family has not had the honor of possessing! I must look at them more closely—“

Before he could rush into the room, though, Keito abruptly closed the door in front of him.

“Hasumi-dono?!”

“We are not here to play with the new weapons,” Keito said stiffly. “No matter how fascinating they are to you, we will not use them under any circumstances. I believe it is better if we forget about the weapons from the start. The more we engage with them, the more we will become tempted.” He pushed up his glasses. “Free your heart from desires—this is what I have always been taught. It is crucial to our survival right now. Do you understand?”

“But Hasumi-dono…” Souma was about to say something, but stopped himself. After a short pause, he nodded firmly. “You’re right. I’ve realized just how immature I am being—if you hadn’t stopped me, I may end up doing something I will regret. As usual, your wisdom surpasses that of mine.” He faced his unit leader with an earnest smile. “I ask humbly for your punishment.” 

“No need, as long as you understand.” Keito turned away from the room. “From here on, this room will be off-limits. We will forget about its existence. Now, come—we have two more rooms to check.”

They had looked at the Akatsuki room first, because it was located closest to the stairs. As Keito left it behind and led everyone further down the hall, Tomoya felt his respect for the Vice President grow tenfold. It must have taken a vast amount of willpower on his part to avoid entering the room. 

The second room they approached was the MaM room, located two doors down at the center of the hall. This was what most of the crowd had come for; since it was open to everyone, almost every student wanted to check it out.

Keito stopped in front of the door, and then tried pushing it open. Sure enough, it was unlocked.

Immediately a wave of bright lights and smells hit them. The room was just like Madara himself—loud and gaudy, filled with far more energy than anyone could ever want or need. It seemed to follow a festival theme. Tomoya spotted lit lanterns, torches, firecrackers, large drums with heavy-looking mallets attached, a miniature food stall with takoyaki served on metal skewers, and—what was that huge thing in the middle of the room?

People were already rushing inside, so Tomoya promptly forgot about all the safety concerns and followed the crowd. He stopped beneath the giant structure that took up center stage, finally recognizing that it was an exceptionally large _mikoshi_ —a decorated shrine, probably even larger than the one Madara had been in when he was sent to his execution. It looked like two or three people could sit in it. Still, he found it odd why anything like this would be in the Unit Practice Room...

“It’s a defensive object!” Kirakuma said suddenly from beside him.

“Woaaaah?” Tomoya jumped. He didn’t expect the bear to suddenly appear out of nowhere. “Wh-What are you talking about? Are you talking to me?”

“Most of what you’ve seen in the Unit Practice Rooms so far have been offensive weapons,” Kirakuma went on, not bothering to respond. “But that’s not the only type of bonus I could give you lot! I thought I could spruce things up by bringing in a few things used for defense as well.” He tapped on the side of the _mikoshi_. “I’ve specially designed this thing to be a fortress. Its walls are nearly impenetrable! Go on, attack it with any weapon of your choosing. It’s made using the same material I used in your doors—you won’t be able to put a dent in it, heh-heh!”

“Hm? Is that so?” Tomoya heard a familiar voice, and he turned to see Hinata and Yuuta, standing next to him and looking up at the _mikoshi_ with mild interest. “Yuuta-kun, wanna try and test it?” Hinata grinned toward his little brother.

“If you’re up for it, then I am,” Yuuta replied.

“But, hmm…what are we gonna use to attack?” Hinata looked around.

The room was supposed to be an arsenal, but it looked more cluttered with miscellaneous objects than actual weapons. Tomoya wandered toward one table, where there were a few firecrackers and containers of explosives laid out. Strangely enough, they were set right next to a pair of binoculars. 

“To see the beautiful fireworks from a distance!” Kirakuma explained.

_…All right, Kirakuma. Whatever you say._

He picked up a strange-looking spherical object that was painted in festive colors and fit snugly in the palm of his hand. When he shook it, he could hear something inside. “What’s this?” he asked.

“Ah~ That’s a special kind of explosive,” Kirakuma said cheerily. “The material on the inside will combust when it comes into contact with air. So you’re supposed to give it a good hard throw to crack open its shell, and it’ll go BOOM! with some colorful smoke to add to the fun.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Tomoya shuddered and put it back, glad that he didn’t drop it by accident. “How powerful is the explosion supposed to be?”

Kirakuma tapped on his chin. “Not too strong—it’s a festival plaything, after all~ I’d say it’s enough to blow a small hole in your typical wall.”

“Then it seems like it’s perfect!” Hinata exclaimed. “We’ll see if this little bomb can blow up that _mikoshi_ or not!”

“Uh, Aniki, are you sure?” Yuuta asked. “If it really blows up, won’t that be dangerous? What if Kirakuma was lying and it kills all of us?”

“You’ve got a point.” Hinata considered. “We’ll come back when everyone is gone, then, and we’ll throw it from a safe distance. Besides, I don’t think Kirakuma would do something _that_ mean…he’s been fair with us most of the time…right?”

He looked at where Kirakuma had just been standing, but the bear had already vanished.

“He _is_ the evil mastermind that’s been telling us to murder each other all this time,” Tomoya pointed out. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he wants to see us dead.”

“Yeah, but if he just wanted us dead, he could have killed us already.”

“What could have killed you?” A voice sounded from behind them, and Tomoya whirled around to see Nazuna, staring at them with his hands on his hips. “What were the three of you talking about?”

“Oh, Nii-chan…” Tomoya greeted his senpai. “It’s nothing important, really. We were just talking about Kirakuma.”

He wondered for a moment why he was covering for the twins, and then decided that maybe he was curious about what they might find out, too.

So much for freeing the heart from desires.

“…All right. Anyway, I was thinking it’s time for us to go look at the Ra*bits room,” Nazuna didn’t look too satisfied, but continued nonetheless. “It’s our room, after all. It’ll probably be the most important one for us to see.”

“Can we see, too?” The twins asked in unison.

“You’re free to stand outside the door and look in,” Nazuna offered. “Tomo-chin, come on.”

“Ah…okay.” Tomoya followed his senpai out of the MaM room and down the hallway, to a door located at the very end, where Hajime and Mitsuru were already standing and waiting for them. 

“Nii-chan!” Hajime called out. “A-Are you really going to open it? I’m a little bit scared…”

“We have to know what we’re dealing with in order to know how to deal with it,” the third-year replied. He took a deep breath and brought out his ID card. “Don’t worry, leave it to Nii-chan.”

A swipe, and a click.

Nazuna pushed open the door to a world of rainbows.

It was almost like something out of a dream, comparing to what they were expecting. The room was decorated almost like a children’s playhouse, walls painted sky blue, filled with adorable toys like stuffed animals, large fake flowers, big fluffy clouds, and heart-shaped balloons. A stuffed rabbit and a stuffed kitten were sitting together around a small wooden table with a tea set on it. A small painted-white piano, decorated in ribbons and bows, was placed against the wall. On a bookcase in the corner, a music box containing a miniature model of a dancer was propped open, playing the familiar tune of “London Bridge is Falling Down.”

There was nothing but stunned silence for a few moments. And then Tomoya whispered, “Are you kidding me?”

What was this? Some sort of joke? Sure, he could understand having the contents of each room follow the unit’s theme, but wasn’t this going too far? He was already tired of being treated like a child because their unit was “cute.” Now while everyone else was receiving fully stocked arsenals of weapons, they were getting…stuffed bunnies?

“What sort of ‘gift’ is this?!”

“Umm, well, at least…” Hajime laid a hand on Tomoya’s shoulder. “there isn’t anything dangerous…?”

“I sure hope so.” Nazuna walked inside the room, motioning for his unit members to follow him. From there he began carefully inspecting every object he could see, picking up and turning over empty teacups, spinning around a colorful mobile hanging from the ceiling, carefully checking a mirror affixed to the wall behind it. Tomoya did the same, and neither of them could find any hidden weapons or trinkets of any sort. Everything in the room was cute, harmless, and fluffy.

“I thought at least we’d find some tasty bread, yanno~” Mitsuru said in disappointment.

“This isn’t fair. There’s nothing at all in this room that we can use,” Tomoya complained.

Nazuna spun around angrily. “That’s a _good_ thing, Tomo-chin! We should be relieved that there aren’t more weapons that could harm everyone else. What would you do if we _did_ get a room full of weapons? That would just make everything worse!”

“I—I’m sorry, Nii-chan,” Tomoya held out both hands. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking things through…”

Still, something about all of this just didn’t seem right. Kirakuma was a horrible, evil, cruel monster, but he played by the rules. And Tomoya wasn’t too sure, but giving everyone _except_ a few specific people a huge advantage didn’t seem right in his rulebook.

“It’s okay,” Nazuna said reassuringly. “Now Ra*bits doesn’t have anything to worry about—“

“Are you SURE, Nito-senPAI?” A cool voice sounded from the crowd of spectators at the door. The one who had spoken was Natsume, arms crossed as he looked at Nazuna with a curious smile.

“…What do you mean?”

“If I were you, I’d be _very_ woRRIED,” the red-haired magician continued. “Your unit is now at a massive disadvantage to everyone else in the GAME. Now anyone who so wishes can come after your unit members, knowing that they have no proper way of defending themSELVES.”

“That’s not gonna happen!” Nazuna protested. “As long as we make sure _no one_ tries to kill anyone in the first place!”

“OH? And how are you planning to do THAT?” Natsume’s golden eyes glinted, posing a challenge. “No matter how much you trust everyone to keep the peace and stay in LINE, you see, it will never WORK. Because in a game like THIS, especially when we all have access to weapons, it is kill-or-be-KILLED. If you stay PUT, there is a greater chance someone will kill YOU, so it is always better to take acTION. Sure, a happy ending can be reached if no one makes a MOVE. But that is against each individual’s best inteRESTS.” He fingered the pentagram around his neck. “This is what they call the Prisoner’s DileMMA.”

“…Then if I have to, I’ll stop anyone from coming into the rooms,” Nazuna said. “I’ll guard the hallway, every day, personally, so no one can come near here. That’ll settle it!” He began making his way out of the door.

“Oh, no, I don’t think that’s the best idea,” a lazy voice sounded, causing him to stop in his tracks. Ritsu was leaning alongside the doorframe, looking at him coldly. “What if you decided to sneak into the MaM room when you were guarding, and attack us with whatever it is you found? We’ve been through too much to trust that it won’t happen, Nazunyan.”

“Nii-chan wouldn’t do something like that!” Hajime cried. “Why would you think that, Ritsu-senpai?!”

“I can think of plenty of reasons why,” Ritsu countered. “Leveling the playing ground, maybe, for the unit that got a room that was totally useless.”

“I…don’t understand.” Nazuna’s body trembled as he said. “Why can’t we trust each other? Why can’t we wish for everyone to come out of this alive?”

“All of us are frightened for our lives, Nito-kun,” Rei said in a somber tone. “We are scared because we trusted earlier, but that has resulted in far too many casualties. None of us want to kill one another, but humans see death and they fear it. They will do anything to avoid what has happened to so many of our friends.” He paused. “Not to mention, the mastermind may still be lurking within us.”

“There’s no real evidence for that!”

“Perhaps, but it is nevertheless likely.” Rei didn’t attempt to say anything more.

“If I were you, Nito-kun…” Eichi addressed the small third-year. “I’d ask Kirakuma-kun about the meaning behind your room. I think there might be more than meets the eye, although that’s just a hunch.” He smiled warmly. “It’s never a bad thing to want to protect yourself, you know. You wouldn’t want your three juniors to come under attack, would you?”

“Leave my juniors alone. And you’re not telling me what to do, _Tenshouin_.” Nazuna gritted his teeth. “Come on, Tomo-chin, Hajime-chin, Mitsuru-chin. We’re leaving.”

“…Okay.” Hajime pulled on Tomoya’s hand, so he had no choice but to follow them out the door. The crowd parted as well; having seen everything there was to see, the students gradually lost their interest and drifted along with them back down the hallway toward the exit.

Just when they were about to reach the stairs, though, Tomoya discreetly let go of Hajime’s hand, and then turned, running back the way he came, arriving once again at the door of the Ra*bits Unit Practice Room. He felt somehow that he had to come back—that the mystery here wasn’t quite solved. Hopefully the crowd had provided cover for him, so his unit members wouldn’t come searching for him quite so soon.

He swiped his key card and slipped inside. The cute, fluffy contents of the room hadn’t changed. The music box was still playing, but it did nothing to calm his nerves.

He cleared his throat, and then worked up the courage to call out, “Kirakuma?”

“Yes, Tomoya-kun?” the bear’s voice came from behind him, and Tomoya jumped. He spun around to see Kirakuma grinning up at him.

“C-Can you stop doing that? Sneaking up on me every time…”

“Why, I think it’s good fun. Did you have something to ask me?”

“Er…” For some reason, the stuffed animal with mismatched eyes was making him extremely unsettled. “I wanted to ask…about this room. Why is it different from all the other ones? Why aren’t there any…weapons?”

His stomach twisted into a knot as Kirakuma narrowed his eyes at him. Was he even allowed to ask this? What if Kirakuma didn’t like it? Was he doing something extremely stupid right now?

And then the bear burst into laughter.

“Ha-ha-ha! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Goodness, a small, cute rabbit, asking for weapons—you’re a bloodthirsty one, aren’t you?!”

“ _No!_ That’s not what I meant—“

“Well, let me tell you something, little rabbit,” Kirakuma interrupted him. “Not all the things that can give you an edge in the game are weapons, you know. Your unit was a bit of a special case, so I gave you something different. It’ll help you greatly…if you can figure out how it works.”

“Huh?” Tomoya looked around confusedly. “But—there’s nothing in here—“

“Well, perhaps you should look some more under the surface,” Kirakuma cackled. “After all, rabbits love to dig burrows, don’t they?”

And with that, the bear waved its paw, and disappeared into the ground.

Tomoya frowned, unsure what all that meant. If anything, it seemed that there _was_ more to this room, but beneath all the flowers and bunnies and rainbows, he had no idea what it could be. He looked at the stuffed rabbit sitting at the tea table. It smiled back at him with empty eyes, saying nothing.

And that was when he noticed something he hadn’t seen before. There was a small compartment under the table, a tiny drawer with a flowery handle that had somehow escaped his vision earlier. Out of curiosity, he reached out and tugged at the drawer. It was locked.

…Locked?

Tomoya stood up abruptly and surveyed the room again. He checked the surfaces of everything, peering between the books in the bookcase and even lifting up the music box to check beneath it. If there was a lock, he reasoned, there had to be a key.

His search yielded nothing, though, and out of frustration, Tomoya plopped back down next to the stuffed animals at the tea table and picked up a teacup before realizing it was empty. The teapot was empty too. If he wanted to have any tea, it looked like he would have to make some himself.

He sighed, and was about to put the teacup back down when something caught his eye. On the inside of the teacup, printed on the bottom, was an image of a golden key.

“What—What’s this all about?” he scratched his head, scrutinizing the key more closely. It looked almost real, and small enough to fit in the tiny keyhole on the small drawer. But it was unquestionably fake. Was Kirakuma toying with him again? Tomoya wondered. And why would anyone put a key in a teacup in the first place? If it were real, he might have swallowed it without even noticing—

He stopped. The teacup was placed right in front of the stuffed rabbit, he realized.

He stared at the rabbit. The rabbit stared back, cutely, innocently.

“No, no…This can’t be right. That’s crazy,” Tomoya groaned, but with this his only lead, he felt compelled to follow it. He glanced around the room for anything he could use, and his sights landed on the miniature fork and knife laid out next to the rabbit’s empty plate. Not enough to kill a human, but…

He grabbed the knife, and with a deep breath, slashed it right into the stuffed rabbit’s belly.

The knife cut through the rabbit’s cloth skin and cotton stuffing easily. After exposing all its innards, Tomoya dug his hands into the stuffing bursting out from inside the rabbit, and rummaged around until his fingers contacted something hard and cold. He pulled it out, and sure enough, it was a tiny golden key.

With trembling fingers, Tomoya pushed the key into the keyhole on the small drawer beneath the table. It fit perfectly. He turned it, and there was a _click._

The drawer opened. Tomoya’s eyes widened as he pulled out two sheets of paper and unfolded them.

“No way…this is…”

That was when the explosion happened.

 

\--

 

The sun had set already, but there was still a hint of pale orange light washed over the very edge of the heavens, where the sky met the sea. The stars, impatient as they were to begin releasing their light, twinkled overhead. Nazuna sat alone on the ledge of the fountain, looking out at the night sky. 

He didn’t really have the liberty to engross himself in the view, though, because he was glancing toward his electronic Student ID every few seconds, checking that the hallway leading to the Unit Practice Rooms was clear. There was no choice—as long as there were times when nobody was monitoring, there was an opening for someone to commit a murder. He wished he could monitor the hallway 24/7, but he’d ruin himself if he did. 

If only there was some way to do away with the Unit Practice Rooms altogether…he thought, but it seemed as if not everyone liked that idea, and Nazuna alone was powerless to change their minds. Besides, Rei had a point last time when he said they might end up needing the items in the room for other purposes.

He rested his head in his arms. There was too much to think about right now.

“Nito?” A voice from behind him jolted him out of the mire of his thoughts.

“Unyu?!” Letting out a yelp of surprise, he turned to see Kuro walking toward him from the direction of the main school building. “Kuro-chin?! What are you doing here?”

“I was just walkin’ back from the dojo, and I saw you, so I wanted to check if you’re okay,” Kuro replied. “What are you doing out here? It’s cold, y’know. You might get sick if you don’t go back in soon.”

“Hmm. Thanks, but…I wanted to think about some things by myself,” Nazuna said. “There’s been a lot going on lately.”

”I know,” the tall third-year replied. “We’re all in the same boat here. That is…if you want to talk about anything, I’ll be here for ya. We’re classmates, after all.”

“…Okay. I’m glad,” Nazuna gave his classmate a slight smile. “Er, Kuro-chin?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t want anyone to die either, right? You swore not to enter your Unit Practice Room, and everything. I wish everyone could agree to do that, but it’s just not possible… Do you think there’s a way to do it? To make sure everyone survives without upsetting our trust?”

Kuro hefted a sigh. He sat down next to Nazuna at the ledge of the fountain, and paused to think before responding. “I don’t think I’m as good of a guy as you think I am, Nito.”

“Huh?” Nazuna stared at him.

“Sure, we can have grandiose hopes of saving everyone…but I’m not the kind of hero that can do it,” Kuro said. “I’m not like Morisawa. The path I’ve walked through is stained in blood, and I’ve lived by the belief that, even in a fair fight, the wins of some always equals the loss of others.” He let out a breath that was visible in the air as he spoke. “In times of peace, it’s all right if I hide that part of myself and try to repent for my mistakes in the past. But now is a time of war. I’m not good enough to pull through without making any sacrifices. When I followed Hasumi no danna’s orders, I was simply staying loyal to the people most important to me—who I would stick by under any circumstances.” He gazed up at the night sky, at the lambent starlight. “It doesn’t mean I was swearing to be a good person who would bring everyone back alive. I’m not strong enough for that.”

“…Do you think that it’s impossible? That we can never bring about a happy ending?”

“I didn’t say that,” Kuro replied. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to do it, Nito. You have far more hope than I do. But when times are rough…be sure you know what’s most important to you, yeah?” He regarded his classmate with a smile. “Morisawa lost sight of himself when he was trying to save everyone around him. I don’t want that to happen to you, too.”

“…” Nazuna wrapped his school jacket more tightly around him. “Alright. Thank you, Kuro-chin. You helped me calm down a bit.”

“No problem.” Kuro stood up. “It really is cold out here, huh.”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, Nito,” the tall third-year suddenly remarked, “am I going crazy, or d’you reckon it’s snowing?”

“Huh?” Nazuna looked up. Sure enough, there were a few white flakes falling down from the sky. Not too many, but definitely there. He caught one on his hand. It was cold.

“What in the world…?” he muttered to himself. How could it be snowing at this time of year? No—he corrected himself. They didn’t know _what_ time of year it was. They didn’t know _where_ in the world they were, in the first place.

“Well, that’s strange,” Kuro said. “We were…uh, kidnapped and brought here in late March, weren’t we?”

“If it’s naturally snowing, then either we’ve time-leaped into winter within the space of a few weeks, or…we’re on the other side of the planet, maybe, where it _is_ winter,” Nazuna reasoned. “Or the bear might be messing with us by sending down fake snow. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“The temperature’s real, though,” Kuro pointed out. “Look, I didn’t even notice earlier, but the water in the fountain’s all frozen, too.”

Nazuna looked back down. “You’re right, it is…Wait. Oh no.”

“What is it?”

“I was so distracted, I forgot to monitor my ID the whole time!” Nazuna said frantically. He grabbed the electronic card and pressed a button, lighting up its screen. What was displayed on it made him gasp.

“What is this? _Smoke?_ From one of the rooms?” He jumped up, as if hit by a bolt of electricity. “And there are people there too—the twins? And _Tomo-chin?_ “

He broke into a run without thinking, sprinting toward the dormitory building so quickly the wind felt painful against his face. _Oh God, oh God, if something happened to them, I’m never going to be able to forgive myself—_

Even as he ran, he realized the snow was falling faster, heavier—the world was becoming a swirl of white around him. It was like a forewarning, he remembered vaguely thinking. Whatever was happening to this island, it certainly wasn’t a good thing—it was, no doubt, the beginning of another tragedy the bear had ordered upon them.

 

\--

 

Hinata couldn’t believe what he had just done.

He and Yuuta were sprawled on the ground outside the MaM Unit Practice Room, coughing amidst the colored smoke that was billowing out of the half-open door. Neither of them were hurt terribly; the impact caused by the explosion had simply knocked them off their feet. Still coughing, Hinata reached out a hand to help his brother up, but Yuuta pushed it away.

“Aniki, are you _stupid?!_ ” Yuuta yelled. He wiped away a tear from his eye, undoubtedly caused from the smoke that was now permeating the hallway. “You did that way too recklessly. What if we both got killed? Don’t trust every word that bear says like an idiot!”

That’s right, Hinata couldn’t believe that he had gotten his little brother mad at him, _again._

“B-But we’re fine!” he protested. “Look, I’m sorry if I didn’t think it through—“

“Hey—what are you two doing?“ A voice called from further down the hall. Hinata froze, and then saw Tomoya stumbling towards them, squinting amidst the smoke.

”Oh, hey, Tomo-kun~ Ahaha.” He laughed a little awkwardly, waving at his friend. “What are you doing here? I thought everyone left already.”

“Isn’t that _my_ line?” Tomoya countered. “What were the two of you—“ His eyes widened as he remembered. “Don’t tell me, you really tried to test that explosive on the _mikoshi_?”

“Yeah, but look, it worked!” Hinata grabbed hold of Tomoya’s arm and pulled him in front of the door to see. “We took one of those colored balls and threw it right into the _mikoshi_ ’s window, from here, outside the door. It exploded inside, and gave off all that smoke, but the _mikoshi_ wasn’t harmed a single bit! Just look at it—it’s good as new!” He pointed at it, almost jumping with excitement.

“Whoa…” Tomoya breathed when he looked inside. “You’re right, not even a single scratch. So it’s really an iron fortress…How on earth did Kirakuma make something like this?”

“Beats me,” Hinata shrugged. “It’s not the weirdest thing on this island I’ve seen so far.”

“It was still too dangerous, Aniki. I _thought_ you were going to cover ourselves with some sort of protection first,” Yuuta complained. “And leaving the door half-open—that was just an idiotic move. If the room blew up and stuff flew out, we really could have been hurt.”

“Ahh—Yuuta-kun, I’m really, really sorry, okay?” Hinata took his little brother by both hands and squeezed them, looking at him with puppy-dog eyes. “Next time I’ll discuss it thoroughly with you before we do anything~! So forgive me, okay? Please don’t be mad anymore!”

“Alright, alright…” Yuuta shook his head, exasperated. “Why are you so fixated on that _mikoshi_ , anyway? Is there really anything we can do with it, even if it’s an iron fortress?”

“Well, I think it’ll come in pretty handy!” Hinata grinned. “Now we know that if anyone wants to kill us, we can hide in here, and we’ll be pretty much invincible. Besides, I think it’ll be perfect to use for…” He stopped himself. “…um, nothing! I think I just lost my train of thought there, heh-heh.”

“Hmm…?” Yuuta narrowed his eyes at Hinata, who was trying hard to make his smile seem natural. Before his little brother could question him any more, he quickly turned his gaze toward Tomoya and pointed eagerly at him. “Hey, Tomo-kun, what’s that you’ve got in your hands? Can I see?”

“This? Ah—“ Tomoya looked down with a bit of surprise at the papers he held in his hands, as if he had forgotten they were there. “They’re nothing important! I just came across them in our Practice Room, that’s all…”

“In your Practice Room? What are they?” Yuuta was about to take a peek at Tomoya’s hand, but he was interrupted by a flurry of footsteps from the other end of the hall.

“ _Tomo-chin!_ “ Nazuna yelled as he ran straight toward them, with Kuro following behind him just a few paces away. 

“Nii-chan?!”

Nazuna ran straight into his junior without slowing and tackled him in a hug. “Are you okay? What happened? I swear, Nii-chan would have died if anything happened to you…And Hinata-chin and Yuuta-chin, too…What were you _doing_ here?”

“Umm…” Tomoya looked toward Hinata helplessly. “Want to explain this one?”

“Sure thing, Nito-senpai, Kiryu-senpai.” Hinata cracked a cheeky grin. He then proceeded to give a very brief, very truncated rundown of what they had done in the MaM room.

By the end of it, Nazuna was fuming. Before he could open his mouth to give a Keito-style lecture, though, Kuro stopped him.

“I think the two of them’ve learned their lesson already,” he chuckled. “You did see them yelling at each other on the screen when you were coming here, didn’t ya?”

“We’re really sorry that we caused all this trouble, Nito-senpai!” Yuuta dipped his head down. “I’m gonna tell my brother off as harshly as I can for this, so you really don’t need to bother. It won’t happen again, I promise!”

“Noooo—go easy on me, Yuuta-kun, pleeease!” Hinata begged.

“Alright,” Nazuna sighed. “I’m just glad all of you are safe. Please, don’t put yourselves in danger again…” He paused. “Speaking of which, Tomo-chin, you weren’t part of their plan, were you? Why are you here?”

“Oh, right.” Tomoya straightened up and grabbed his senpai’s hand. “I have something to tell you, Nii-chan. In private would be best.”

“Tomo-chin?” Nazuna looked confused, as Tomoya dragged him down the hall into the Ra*bits Practice Room, and shut the door behind them.

“Nii-chan…I’ve discovered something,” Tomoya held up the papers in his hand, a little out of breath. “It was in this room.”

“A map of the school?” Nazuna frowned.

“That’s not all,” Tomoya said. He pointed at one spot on the map. “This is circled in red, see? And marked with ‘Entrance’.”

“Entrance to where?”

“Burrows. Rabbits dig burrows,” Tomoya said. He faced his senpai, who looked quite confused, and took a deep breath. “I think this is what’s hidden in our room—a way to access the _secret underground layer_ of our school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme of this case is: "a puzzle."
> 
> Take that how you wish! :D Feel free to guess at victims this time, too, or the motive, since it hasn't been revealed yet! As usual any and all comments are welcome, and I'll be posting related ramblings at @dr_es_despair !!
> 
> See you all next time, then!!


	24. 4.2 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He left all thoughts behind him, running straight ahead, knowing he was going to win this time—knowing that this time, there would be nothing behind him, nothing that could catch up to him, nothing at all to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone here is the long-delayed extra-long new chapter!! It's 10k words again so set out a good chunk of time to read :'D A LOT of things happen this chapter so you might want to prepare yourself!

Sora had always loved the color of the snow. Not just the white that wrapped everything up in a glittering blanket, either. Whenever snow fell, it would bring with it a flurry of “colors” unseen by anyone else, a cascading swirl of emotions, feelings, and images, painted on everyone’s faces and in the air. They were incredibly soothing “colors,” like the first fresh breath one took when stepping outside, slowing the world down, quieting all the loud noises, bringing a sense of peace and serenity, and happiness and love. Sora loved it, because it was as if someone had cast a magic spell on the whole world, turning it white, turning it beautiful.

This time, however, something was different.

As Sora gazed in awe outside his dorm window, into the sparkling white landscape that their island had turned into overnight, he could still see the colors, but there was something a bit…off about them. He couldn’t quite describe it, but the familiar “colors” of the snow seemed blander, duller, less lively, as if they were tainted, or as if they weren’t quite real.

He thought about asking his Shisho why—Shisho always knew the answers—but one glance at Natsume, still fast asleep in the other bed, and he decided it wasn’t all that important anyway. 

After all, there was _snow!_ It was _snowing!_

Ignoring the fact that it was still barely 6 in the morning, Sora jumped up and ran out of his room—and almost immediately crashed into Mitsuru, who was sprinting at full speed down the hall.

“Whoa! Mitsu-chan?” Sora yelped as the brown-haired boy zipped past him, and then followed with a greeting. “Good morning~! If you meet somebody in the morning you should greet them!”

“Huh? Oh, Sora-chan!” Mitsuru stopped and turned around mid-dash to wave cheerily at his classmate. “‘Morning! I’m so excited it’s snowing, I want to dash, dash outside in the snow! Do you wanna come with me?”

“Yeah! Sora really wants to play in the snow, too!” Sora bounced up and down eagerly. “There’s so much of it—we can even build a snowman!”

“Or have a snowball fight!” Mitsuru echoed. He started running down the hall again, and Sora chased after him.

“Or make snow angels!”

“Or do all three!” They reached the door and burst out into the freezing weather. Immediately a chill ran up Sora’s body, and he wrapped his arms around himself for warmth. “Whoa, it’s cold, it’s cold!”

“Once you start dashing, it won’t be as cold anymore!” Mitsuru ran off, his footsteps leaving small imprints in the snow. Everything—the ground, the buildings, the trees—was covered in a soft white blanket, already several inches deep; the snow showed no signs of stopping, either. The sky was still flurrying with white flakes, drifting down steadily like a translucent, crisp-smelling curtain, and Sora reached out a hand to catch some. They disappeared far too quickly, though, so he couldn’t quite tell if he had really gotten any.

“Sora-chan! Watch out!”

Sora yelped and ducked just in time to avoid being smacked in the face by Mitsuru’s snowball. “That’s not fair, Mitsu-chan! You didn’t even warn me that we’re starting!” he complained, as he bent down to make a snowball of his own.

“…What in the world are you two doing, causing a racket out here so early?” a slightly tired voice interrupted them, and Sora turned around in surprise. Walking towards them from the dormitory building was their classmate Tsukasa, rubbing his eyes in a way that suggested he had been woken by his roommate Mitsuru.

“We’re playing in the snow, yanno~!” Mitsuru answered. 

“HiHi~! Tsuka-chan should come play too!” Sora said, as he threw the snowball he had in his hand playfully. Tsukasa let out a “ _Whoa!_ “ and put up his hands to defend himself, despite the snowball coming nowhere near its target.

“Hmph. You’re acting like a bunch of simple children,” the youngest member of Knights shook his head. “Don’t you realize the situation we’re in right now? People have been _dying._ And aren’t you even going to bother questioning _why_ it’s snowing? It makes no sense during this time of year! Do you think this is another scheme by that Kirakuma? It’s making me so anxious, it’s horrible…!”

Mitsuru blinked. “But the snow is fun. Right, Sora-chan?” he called out as he kicked up a flurry of snow with one foot.

Sora didn’t answer. He was busy staring intently at Tsukasa, and the hazy aura around him that was threatening to swallow him whole. “Tsuka-chan…you’re dyed in a really sad ‘color’ right now.”

“Me?” Tsukasa stiffened in surprise. “What do you mean—”

“It’s a lonely ‘color’,” Sora went on. “And it’s also scared, and angry, and confused…That’s why Tsuka-chan can’t bring himself to enjoy the snow, right? The sad ‘colors’ are covering over all the happy ones.”

“I was just trying to tell you to be a little more reasonable!” Tsukasa frowned, pulling his jacket tighter around him to keep out the wind. “And I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It has something to do with Tsuka-chan’s ‘Leader’ leaving him, doesn’t it?” Sora asked gently. “You’re sad that he’s gone. You wish that he’s here with you, right? Sora understands! Sora feels lonely too, when Shisho isn’t with him!”

Tsukasa involuntarily took a step backward. “No—stop! Stop talking about it!”

Sora’s eyes widened. “Ah, did Sora say something wrong? I’m sorry! If you hurt someone you should apologize to them!”

“No, no, it’s not wrong…” Tsukasa sighed, his breath forming a puff of mist in the cold air.“It’s just that—If I think of Leader, I might end up crying again, and that would be too unsightly of me…I am a proud member of the Suou family, after all. I can’t continue to drown in tears like this…”

“Oh, that’s right!” Mitsuru’s face lit up. “Tsukasa-chan, you were crying all night last night, weren’t you?”

“What? You heard?” Tsukasa’s face flushed the color of a tomato. “I thought you were _asleep!”_

“Hmm—well, actually, I couldn’t really sleep either, yanno,” Mitsuru admitted as he wrung his hands together. “I was sad, too.”

“You were sad, too?”

“Yeah, because Mike-chan-senpai died,” Mitsuru said, hanging his head. “He was our Buchou guy, and I really liked him! He would always fly me up high with his arms or let me ride on his shoulders! And he runs really fast too! I could never catch up with him no matter how hard I tried, yanno~. But now I can’t ride on his shoulders anymore, and I’ll never be able to beat him in a race anymore…thinking about that made me a little sad, yanno.”

“Tenma-kun…” Tsukasa was at a loss of words for a moment. Briefly, Sora saw his “colors” change, opening up to reveal something more warm and alive. “That’s right. I didn’t realize that other people might be suffering just as much as I am…I’m really the childish one here, aren’t I?” He lowered his head. “I’ve been so caught up in my own emotions that I shut myself off to everyone around me.”

“It’s okay! No matter how bad you’re feeling, after a good night’s sleep and some good food, you’ll be able to forget about everything and face tomorrow with a smile, right?” Mitsuru pumped a fist in the air. “I don’t like to think too much about things, so I just dash, dash until the worries leave me!”

Tsukasa forced a strained smile. “I don’t think it’s that easy for me, Tenma-kun. I’m jealous, really. You can get over things so fast. Me, on the other hand…I can’t stop thinking about Leader.” Tsukasa’s voice wavered, and his hand hurried to wipe something from the corner from his eye before anyone could notice. “I miss him…I wish more than anything that he were still with me…”

“I think he _is_ still with you, Tsuka-chan,” Sora said.

“Huh?” Tsukasa stared at him.

Sora put a hand to his chin, like he always saw Shisho and Senpai doing when they were thinking about something. “Umm…Sora doesn’t really know how to describe it? But when I look at your ‘color’, there’s a little bit of your Leader’s ‘color’ mixed in with it now. It wasn’t there before. It’s like there’s still a little piece of your Leader inside of you!” Sora moved closer to Tsukasa, grabbed hold of his hand, and guided it gently to his heart. “Even though you can’t see it, Sora thinks you can feel it, here!”

“Leader…” Tsukasa gripped his hand to his chest tightly, and then bit down hard on his lip, as if he was about to cry again. “He’s here? He really hasn’t left me completely?”

“Yeah! And Sora thinks that your Leader won’t want to see you gloomy like this! I think if he were here, he would want Tsuka-chan to smile!”

"Smile..."

Without a word, Tsukasa threw his arms around Sora, hugging him close. He was smiling—a small, sad smile, but genuine nonetheless.

“Thank you, Harukawa-kun…”

“What’s this? Group hug? Group hug!” Mitsuru called out, running and throwing himself upon the other two. Sora laughed and pulled him into the circle.

“HeHe~! There’s no need to thank Sora! As long as the two of you are happy, then Sora is glad~!”

Mitsuru started yelling about having a snowball fight again, and this time, Tsukasa wasn't stopping him. Sora felt the warmth from their hug seep into his body, blocking away the cold, and he momentarily forgot about everything else—the weather, the killing game, everything Natsume had warned him about. He had cast the magic of happiness on his classmates, hadn’t he? So he was proud! That was what he was here to do, after all.

“He~y! What are you all doing?” As Sora pulled away from the group hug, he saw Tetora, Midori and Shinobu running toward them and waving. Of course! he thought. The more the merrier!

“HiHi~! Snowball fight!” he yelled, grabbing a clump of snow from the ground and tossing it toward the three first-years of Ryuseitai. He giggled as Tetora dodged nimbly and the snowball flew right into Midori, who looked dismayed.

“Snowball fight! Snowball fight!” Mitsuru was chanting, and Tsukasa was joining him this time. Tetora grinned and bent down to prepare a counterattack, but Shinobu had already beaten him to it. As the snowball flew high over his head, Sora felt his spirits soaring even higher. It must be the magic of the snow—in the blink of an eye, the world had just gotten a lot more colorful!

 

\--

 

“Haa…Gewd Mworning~♪” 

“Good morning, Nito-senpai.”

Makoto breathed an inner sigh of relief. If Nazuna was fumbling over his words like usual, he must be at least somewhat relaxed. His senpai had been so worked up over the Unit Practice Rooms yesterday that he had gotten pretty worried about him. Right now, though, he looked calm enough as he came and sat down next to Makoto, a piece of bread and a glass of milk in his hands.

“I can’t believe it’s snowing,” Makoto remarked. “I thought I was gonna freeze on the way from the dorms to the cafeteria~!”

“It’s really weird, isn’t it?” Nazuna agreed, as he brought out his ID card and stared at it, keeping up his monitoring job even during breakfast. “It shouldn’t be snowing. It hasn’t even been a month since we were abducted, I think.”

“I guess it’s another mystery, huh~” Makoto laughed, glancing toward his own ID, from which he was diligently monitoring the electrical room. “Say, Nito-senpai, are you not eating breakfast with your unit today?”

“They’re not here—all the first-years are outside playing in the snow,” Nazuna replied, and then let out a sigh. “Must be nice to be so young and energetic~ Not like us senpais, who have to stay inside to keep warm.”

“Mmm…I don’t know about you, but I think they looked like they were having a lot of fun out there!” Makoto grinned. “If it weren’t for the cold, I’d want to join them.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Nazuna said. “Since Shinobun is out there playing, I’m stuck watching the kitchen from here, too. If you leave, I wouldn’t be able to watch three places at once.”

“Ah~ You’re right,” Makoto smiled sheepishly. “I have a job to do, after all.” He glanced back toward his ID card, and an awkward silence passed between the two of them. After picking at his toast for a few minutes, he finally decided to ask the question he knew was lingering on both their minds.

“Nito-senpai. Do you think…the monitoring system is really working?”

Silence from the other side. Nazuna was frowning, staring down at his food as if it had grown eyes. His tone was sharp as he finally responded, “What else can we possibly do?”

“I…really don’t know,” Makoto slumped down in his seat. “I just feel like…we put in so much effort into this, but it’s all going to waste. All the murders will just happen in the nighttime, when we’re sleeping, instead. We haven’t done anything to prevent a single murder so far.”

“Don’t say that!” Nazuna snapped. “We won’t know about the ones that didn’t happen, right? If we hadn’t been watching, plenty more people could have died during the daytime, where it’s easier to strike!”

“I guess that’s right. But still, I can’t help wondering if there’s a better way to do it. If only this system was more polished…”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking about,” Nazuna cut in. “In the end, murders are still happening because we can’t monitor 24/7, right? If we get rid of that problem, then things will be better.”

“But—you don’t mean that we’ll have to watch without sleeping?” Makoto said in alarm. “Even though I’m willing to go to all my limits to help…We’ll collapse within a few days if we do that!”

“I didn’t mean that. I meant we need to get more _people_ on the job.”

“More people?” Makoto considered. “Like who?”

“I’m sure my Ra*bits members would all be up to it. They’ve grown a lot, and they definitely won’t disappoint us. As for nighttime shifts…” Nazuna tapped on his chin. “There are a few nocturnal students here, right? I think Rei-chin would agree if we asked him, and I trust him. And then there’s also his brother…”

“Ritsu, from Knights, isn’t it?” Makoto finished for him. “Hmm…I haven’t really talked to him much…He seems a little scary.”

“I haven’t either, but I’m sure he’d agree once we talk to him!” Nazuna said. “We can take turns monitoring through parts of the night, as well. It’ll make things a lot safer!”

Makoto smiled. “You know what? That actually sounds pretty good. Let’s try it.”

Nazuna puffed out his chest in pride. “All right~! Leave it to Nii-chan!”

He reached out a hand to take a sip of his milk, but before he could touch it, the glass of milk suddenly teetered violently and fell down on the table.

“Wha—?!”

No, not just the milk—the whole _room_ was shaking. Makoto gasped in surprise as the table beneath them, and every other table in the cafeteria, wobbled roughly, making plates and forks crash into each other and creating a cacophony of clanging. His chair swayed too and he almost fell off.

“This is—an _earthquake?!_ “

“Mako-chin! Get down!” he heard his senpai yell. “Under the table!”

“Ah!” He grasped the situation at last and scrambled to climb under the table, and Nazuna joined him. Together they grabbed onto the table legs for what seemed like an eternity as silverware rained down around them and more things in the room began to fall apart. The light fixtures on the ceiling swung precariously; one of them finally gave and crashed down to the floor several meters away from where Makoto and Nazuna were hiding.

Eventually, slowly, all the shaking and crashing and banging came to a stop. Nazuna stuck out his head and looked carefully around the room to check that nothing else was shaking or hanging dangerously, and then motioned for Makoto to come out with him. They weren’t the only ones in the cafeteria when it happened; all the other students were also emerging from under their tables. Makoto was worried that there had been injuries, but everyone seemed all right, if only a little bit shaken.

“Yuuki! Are you all right?” Hokuto called to him from two tables down, where he was dusting himself off with Mao at his side. 

“Yeah, I’m okay!” Makoto replied.

“First snow, and now earthquakes…?” Keito muttered from his table, which he was sharing with Eichi. “What in the world is this island trying to do to us?”

“The earthquake makes me think we’re still in Japan,” the President mused. 

“But it can’t be. Why would it snow now if we were back home?”

Makoto shook his head, mystified. There was another layer of confusion to add to all the craziness that had happened here. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID card, intending to check the states of the other places in the school, but he froze when he saw what was displayed on the screen.

“Uh…Nito-senpai? Can you check if your ID is displaying the footage correctly…?”

“Huh?” Nazuna grabbed his own ID card, only to gape at the blank screen and error message that greeted him.

“What does this mean? Did the signal cut out or something?”

“It might be that the cameras were broken during the earthquake,” Makoto said. “Try switching to the other cameras and seeing if they work.”

Nazuna pressed a couple buttons, and then shook his head when nothing changed. “None of the cameras are working.”

“That’s weird…not even the ones placed outside?” Makoto furrowed his brow, and then, momentarily, a horrible thought struck him. “I’m going to check the broadcasting room, Nito-senpai.”

“What? Why?”

“If everything cut out at once, it might have something to do with the main computer.” Makoto was already rushing out as he said it. “If that broke…it would be bad…really bad!”

“Hold on! I’m coming with you!”

Nazuna followed Makoto all the way to the third floor of the main school building, circling past fallen obstacles and stepping over broken shards of glass on the way. When they finally opened the door to the broadcasting room, Makoto let out a groan.

It was even worse than he had thought. The ceiling light had fallen down directly on the panel of expensive equipment laid out in the room, and glass shards were everywhere. Their main computer screen was cracked and ruined. All the previously functioning lights had blinked out. Makoto ran over to the wreckage and tried to make sense of it, but only felt an increasing sense of hopelessness; he was no expert, but from what he could tell, things were broken beyond repair.

"I can't believe it," he pressed a hand to his forehead in frustration. “The equipment is totally done for."

"Does this mean we can't use the monitoring system anymore?" Nazuna asked in disbelief. “But—that was our only means of protecting everyone!”

“I know.” Makoto’s tone was sombre. “This is happening too fast…I don’t even know what to say. I’m really, really sorry, Nito-senpai.”

“But—we’ve come this far already! Isn’t there _something_ we can do to fix this?!”

"No…If it were only a few cameras, or a few pieces of equipment, we might be able to get things going again. But I can't fix something like this."

“What about a backup plan…?“

“I don’t think there is one.”

Makoto stood and stared at the wreckage. Nazuna paced the room, his expression growing more and more tormented.

"Why...?" he muttered to himself. "Why...why did this have to happen?!" he slammed a fist on the table. "We tried so hard! We came so close to the solution! Now we're back at square one?" He slumped against the edge of the table, utterly defeated. "It's as if the island itself is trying to stop us! Oh—“ he suddenly looked up and locked eyes with Makoto. "Mako-chin, do you think this was all part of Kirakuma's plan? Was he trying to get rid of our monitoring system?"

"D-Do you really think Kirakuma has the power to cause earthquakes...?"

"How disrespectful!" Before Nazuna could respond, a loud voice rang out, and both of them jumped. There was Kirakuma himself, taking a small bow as he sauntered into the room. "Yuuki Makoto-kun, of _course_ I have the power to cause earthquakes! I am in control of every possible thing that happens to you on this island! And Nito Nazuna-kun," He spun around, one red eye piercing straight into Nazuna. "How disrespectful, a second time. I wouldn't pull off such an enormous feat just to set back an amateur plan like yours! I couldn't care less about your security cameras. As if they worked in the first place!" he cackled out loud. "No, these earthquakes will be a part of something far grander. I plan on telling everyone soon, so I might as well tell you now—they will form your _newest motive!_ "

" _Motive?_ " Makoto's face went white at the mere sound of that word.

"That's right!" Kirakuma said. "Simply put, the earthquakes will not stop until a murder has been committed. Let's see how long you can hold out for as your world falls to pieces around you, hmmm?" he smiled sadistically. "Oh, and don't expect them all to be as gentle as this one. The longer you wait, the harder they'll hit~ What good fun! Heh-heh-heh-heh!"

And with that he was gone, as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Makoto and Nazuna frozen in the room, staring at each other.

“…However bad we thought things were, it just got a whole lot worse,” Nazuna said finally.

Makoto smiled lopsidedly. “I mean…let’s look at the bright side. Earthquakes are common in Japan. A few earthquakes never turned into a reason for murder, right? As long as the snow stops soon so we’re not trapped inside…Come on, how bad can things be?”

 

\--

 

The snow wasn’t stopping.

At least, that was what it looked like to Hajime, who had passed up the years’ snowball fight to make himself a warm cup of hot chocolate while he watched the students frolicking outside. The flurry of white flakes blowing against the windowpane reminded him of the snow globes that he’d once bought for his younger siblings. They were a rare gift; his little brother and sister had been so excited when they received them, turning them over and over in their hands and watching the snow fall, mesmerized as if they were watching fallen feathers from angel wings…

Ah, no good, no good!

Hajime pressed his hands to his face and shook his head forcefully. He can’t think of his family right now, or else he’d get homesick again. He had to be strong in a situation like this.

And it didn’t help at all that Kirakuma had made that ominous announcement to them about the newest “motive”. It had come crackling across the speakers soon after the earthquake that rocked the entire campus. In a daze, he had listened to the bear proclaim more disaster to come, greater than what they had just experienced, if no murder was to happen.

Images of buildings falling, windows cracking, ash and smoke filling the air came to mind. He took another nervous sip of his drink to try to calm his nerves. What lengths would Kirakuma be willing to go to in order to make them kill each other…?

“Hajime!”

Hajime jumped at the sound of his own name, accidentally spilling a little bit of hot chocolate on himself. “T-T-Tomoya-kun?” he gasped, realizing who it was.

“I’m sorry, did I startle you?” Tomoya immediately looked guilty. “I didn’t mean to. I was just looking all over for you.”

“Oh! That’s right, I skipped out on the snowball fight.” Hajime gave his friend a sweet smile to assure him he was fine. “Tomoya-kun, should I make you something warm to drink, too? It’s really cold playing in the snow, isn’t it?”

Tomoya shook his head. “I didn't go, either. I was doing something else." He glanced around the room nervously, checking if anyone was there with them—luckily, they seemed to have the kitchen to themselves. "Do you have some time, Hajime? I need your help with something."

"Of course..." Hajime nodded. "What is it? I'll help with anything I can!"

“Here, let me show you something first.” After letting his eyes dart around the room once more, Tomoya took out two pieces of paper from behind his back. Very quickly, he explained to Hajime how he had come across them in their Unit Practice Room, and what they might represent.

Hajime was astonished. “Y-You mean there really is a secret level beneath the school? Did you go and check it out yet?”

“That’s what Nii-chan and I tried to do yesterday. See, on the map of the school, the entrance is labeled as the fountain. So we went and looked around the fountain, but we couldn’t find any place at all that could possibly lead underground. And that’s why this second piece of paper is important.” He brought it out for Hajime to see.

Hajime inspected it with curiosity. “It’s just a string of numbers.”

Indeed, the paper was blank, except for the digits _1352437624_ scribbled across it in messy handwriting.

“That’s right. But they must be there for a reason,” Tomoya asserted. “I think this is a _second clue_ left for us to discover something else hidden in the room…probably instructions to access the entrance of some sort. I was in the room just now trying to figure out what it might mean, but I haven’t had any luck so far. That’s why I want you to help.”

"Hmm...so it's like a puzzle!" Hajime brightened. "It sounds like it might be fun!"

"Let's go then—there's no time to waste." Tomoya grabbed Hajime's hand and pulled him up. "I was in there during the earthquake, and nothing broke, but things might be worse next time!"

Oh. That's right--Hajime's smile disappeared as he ran with Tomoya out of the building. This wasn't a simple puzzle. They had their lives on the line here. 

“What do you plan to do once we find the entrance to the secret layer?” he asked, out of breath as they dashed through the snow.

“I think it might be a sanctuary. Only we have the means to access it, so we can hide in there to ensure our safety.”

“D-Do you think we’ll really have to do that? Lock ourselves away from our fellow students at the school…?”

Hajime was dreading the answer. But when Tomoya finally responded, it wasn’t what he said, but the way he said it—face turned away, eyes fixated in front of him, tone carefully devoid of any emotion—that struck Hajime most deeply, bringing a painful chill to his heart far worse than any gust of cold wind.

“If things get really bad, yeah, I think so.”

 

\--

 

They were going down fast.

Three strikes and you were out, those were the rules of the game. Somewhere between the beginning of the game and Yuuta’s joining them, the snowball fight had evolved into an epic battle of Ryuseitai vs. everyone else. The objective was to capture the other team’s “flag”—tree branches they had broken off and stuck in the middle of their respective territories. Even the senpai of Ryuseitai, Kanata, had joined in the fun when he saw his juniors scrambling in the snow, although he was rather preoccupied with making snowballs shaped like jellyfish and crustaceans before throwing them. On the other side was Yuuta, Mitsuru, Tsukasa, and Sora.

Working together with Tsukasa, Yuuta had constructed a small snow fort for their team that they could hide behind to evade the enemy’s attack. Their opponents weren’t so easily deterred, however; they had thought they were safe until snowballs started raining down from above and Yuuta realized with shock that the little ninja had climbed up a tree to launch attacks down at them.

“Heh-heh~ No amount of hiding will help you escape from my ninja vision~!” Shinobu grinned as he held up two fingers in a ninja gesture. “Nin nin ♪“

”Why, Shinobu-kun, you little—“ Yuuta was about to climb out of the snow fort to get his revenge, but Tsukasa pulled him back down. “Please wait a moment, Yuuta-kun! Don’t you see that there are enemy snipers?”

“Ohhh, you’re right!” Yuuta peeked out from a window in the fort to see Kanata, half-buried in the snow and casually aiming an isopod-shaped snowball in their direction. “Freaky, I never even noticed him…”

“I know. The question is…what do we do now?”

“HiHi~ Sora will help out!” A cheerful voice rang out, and the yellow-haired boy landed in their fort in a brilliant somersault. “Sora will distract the enemy, and in the meantime, you guys can run out and take down Shinobu-chan!”

“Will you be okay on your own?” Yuuta asked, worried.

“Sora is really good at dodging attacks! Don’t worry~!”

“All right then, we’ll leave it to you. On the count of three, then! Three, two—“

At “one”, all three of them shot out of the snow fort in different directions. Sora ran straight into enemy territory, making impressively agile jumps and slides to avoid a volley of attacks launched at him by the Ryuseitai members. Yuuta took the chance to run toward the tree Shinobu was still on, grabbing onto a branch and swinging himself up. Surely the little ninja had run out of ammo at this point!

“Whoa, Yuuta-kun?! I didn’t see you, de gozaru!”

“I’m coming for you!” Yuuta called out, reaching into his pocket for the snowball he kept there. But just as he was about to throw it, he saw something out of the corner of his eye, and froze.

A slim figure with orange hair just like Yuuta’s, running at the far edge of the school, on the pathway from the dormitory to the main school building.

_Aniki?_

He hadn’t seen his brother at all since the early morning. They were used to moving on their own now, so he didn’t think too much of it—but now that he thought about it, it was extraordinarily strange. Hinata wasn’t usually the type of person to miss out on a good snowball fight like this. There was no way he couldn’t have seen the battle raging out in the school courtyard, so what was he doing that was keeping him so preoccupied?

A shiver of unease shot through Yuuta’s body, and he wavered on his tree branch. He considered calling out to his brother, but he was too far away and wouldn’t hear. _Where is he going? Why is he running?_

“Yuuta-kun! If you freeze up like that, I’ll catch you, de gozaru~!” A chuckle from above snapped Yuuta’s attention back to reality, and he yelled in surprise as Shinobu threw down a fresh supply of snowballs. He had packed up the fallen snow on the tree branches to replenish his ammo as his opponent was distracted. The first snowball caught within the branches, but the next one hit Yuuta squarely in the chest.

“Yes! That’s two strikes now, de gozaru~!”

“Hold up! I’m not going down just yet!” Yuuta gritted his teeth and focused his attention back on the game. He would deal with his mysteriously disappearing brother later, but right now, there was no way he’d let that taunting little ninja get away scot-free. 

He still had three snowballs in his pockets, one strike left to avoid, and a burning competitive spirit. Plenty enough to score a win, if you ask him!

 

\--

 

What they knew at this point:

It wasn’t a secret code written by turning letters into numbers, even when adding steps of shifting and skipping that made Hajime’s head spin. 

It wasn’t the bricks on the wall they had to count and then push in an order of up-right-down-left, although Tomoya contended it might be the other way around and both didn’t work. 

It wasn’t the numbers of the books on the shelf they had to pull out, and then put back, in that order. 

Tomoya furled and then unfurled the page in his hands, which had since grown damp with his sweat. Hajime stared blankly into space, out of ideas. They were missing something here. What were they missing?

“There’s really nothing much in this room to work with,” Tomoya complained. “Maybe this isn’t really the right place to be looking in?”

“But those numbers must mean something,” Hajime said, lost in thought.

“We’ve been through everything we can think of. Where do we even go from here?”

Hajime paused to think for awhile, and then reached out a hand to his friend. “Tomoya-kun, can I see the paper again, please?”

Tomoya handed it over. “Sure…but why?”

“In the mystery novels I’ve read, they always say to return to the beginning when you’re stuck on a trail of clues,” Hajime explained. “That’s what we did during the Mystery Stage as well. When Knights’ trail became too hard to follow, we went back to where everything started.” He looked carefully over the page, which was faded and cracked on the sides. “So I think we can do it here too.”

“Hmm…” Tomoya leaned in close to stare at the paper. “All right, maybe there’s something we didn’t see.”

Hajime turned the page around, and then over, and then held it up to the light. He folded and then unfolded it. When all that yielded no results, he focused on the string of numbers, staring them down one by one, as if each held some kind of secret.

Finally Tomoya spoke again. “I think we can come to a conclusion here.”

“What’s the conclusion?”

“Whoever wrote this has _really_ messy handwriting.”

Hajime giggled at that. “Maybe that can point us to who the mastermind is~ Someone who has really messy handwriting?”

“Maybe. I’m not kidding here,” Tomoya pointed to the page. “See, the first ‘1’ and ‘3’ are completely squished together. It’s hard to even tell them apart…It almost looks like…a B.”

Silence. For about five seconds.

Hajime could almost see the lightbulb go off above both their heads.

“It’s a B…”

“But what does that mean?”

“…Let me try something,” Hajime said after some thought. He took the page gingerly and brought it over to where the small piano was sitting.

They had already tried to play the string of numbers as notes on the piano, with no luck. But Hajime settled himself down again, and this time, played all the notes after the “1” and “3” in B major.

There was a click.

On the far right end of the piano, three keys lifted up, revealing a hidden compartment underneath. Both boys erupted into a simultaneous cheer. 

“We did it! _We really did it!”_

“Great job, Hajime!” Tomoya’s grin was wide as he held up a palm, and Hajime leaped up to gave him a high five. Really, he was so glad now, he could almost cry.

“All right♪ Let’s see what we’ve uncovered!” he said, turning at last to check the contents of the hidden compartment. Two folded pages lay on the top, and as he took them out and opened them, his eyes went wide.

“I think…we found what we’re looking for.”

“We did?” Tomoya took the pages from Hajime and looked them over. “Whoa…This is way cooler than I expected!”

But Hajime had already turned to the compartment once more. Beneath the pages, there had been one more prize. He gingerly brought it out—a small, flat box, decorated with ornate images carved into the surface.

He tried opening it. It was locked, with some sort of strange combination lock affixed to its outer edge. He shook it, and heard rustling inside.

“Tomoya-kun,” he said with a smile, “I think the puzzle isn’t over yet.”

This time, he was feeling just a little bit excited.

 

\--

 

Mitsuru thought that if someone were there to measure the speed at which he was running right now, he might end up beating his old track club record.

“Dash, dash! Dash dash dash~!”

He was running like his life depended on it. And there was good reason to, of course. The Ryuseitai vs. everyone else epic snowball fight was nearing its endgame, and most of his teammates had already been downed. He too had only one strike left, and he was taking a huge risk by charging alone straight into enemy territory. There was no other choice, though—Sora, his only teammate left standing, had to stay back to defend.

Mitsuru’s plan was simple. He would run so fast that not even any snowballs could catch up with him, snatch up the enemy’s flag, and bring it back in victory. In order to do that, though, he had to deal with Tetora and Midori, who were both guarding their base.

“Ossu! Mitsuru-kun, let’s make this a duel between men!” Tetora called out, launching several snowballs one after the other at Mitsuru, but he was too fast for them. In a flash, the speedy runner had broken through their outer line of defense and was nearing Ryuseitai’s snow fort, in which they kept their flag.

“Midori-kun! Look out!”

“Woah…?” The tall first-year looked up from the pile of snowballs he was making in surprise. “How’d he get here so quick? So troublesome…”

He thus picked up an armload of snowballs, stood up in his snow fort, and then heaved them all at once toward the impending enemy.

“Uwah! That almost got me?!” Mitsuru yelled as he stopped in his tracks and made a sharp right turn to avoid getting hit by the full-force attack. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tetora aiming another snowball, so he had no choice but to veer even further away, until he was sure he was out of range.

Between Tetora closing in on him from one side, and Midori guarding their fort and blocking his way, he found himself chased into the shadow of the eastern school building, far away from his goal. As he paused to catch a breath, he tried to figure out what he should do next. Unfortunately, Mitsuru didn’t particularly like thinking. Instead of stopping and pondering through every possible choice he could make, he’d rather be out there and moving.

“Alrighty, I’ve got a plan!” he said to himself. “My plan is to take out Midori-chan before he can take out me!”

Sounded like a good plan. After sticking a few more snowballs in his pockets, Mitsuru peeked toward the battleground. He could still see Midori in the snow fort, but Tetora was nowhere to be found. If now wasn’t a good time to dash, then what was?

So Mitsuru blasted off.

_Just dash straight ahead. Don’t think about anything else! Straight ahead._

It was what he had always been taught in the track club. Keep your eyes on the goal, don’t waver from your path. Run, without thinking of anything else. So he ran. He ran straight ahead, never once taking his eyes off his target, until—

_“Gotcha!”_

“Look out!”

Two voices, and the unmistakable _pfff_ sound of a snowball hitting something, sounded almost simultaneously from behind him.

Mitsuru whirled around in shock. A familiar boy with slightly long orange hair was standing just behind him, grasping a snowball in his palm. It seems like he had caught it as it was flying through the air.

_“Yuu-chan?”_

No, not Yuuta. Yuuta was all the way on the other side of the courtyard. Mitsuru was confused until he saw the pink headphones hanging around the boy’s neck. So this one was—

“I’m Hinata, you know,” the elder twin made a goofy face. “I was just passing by, but that snowball would have hit you if I hadn’t caught it~ So thank me later, alright?”

“Wait, Hinata-chan! Come join the snowball fight! Our team really needs help, yanno!“

But Hinata had already tossed the snowball to one side and was running in the direction of the dormitory building. Mitsuru noticed he had a large bag stuffed full of things slung over one shoulder, and he wanted to ask what was in there—Hinata-chan wasn’t stealing all the bread in the school store, right?—but the elder twin was doing a great job of ignoring him right now.

“Hold on a minute. Since when was Hinata-kun involved in the snowball fight?” At some point Tetora had appeared beside him, with an air that said he wasn’t too pleased. “Why did he catch that snowball I threw?”

“He said he was just passing by, yanno~” Mitsuru replied. 

“That’s not fair. If he hadn’t interfered, that snowball would have hit you and you’d be out!”

“Uhh…but it didn’t hit me, yanno?”

“No, no, Mitsuru-kun, that’s playing dirty,” Tetora frowned. “If you’re gonna play, then play it on fair grounds without any outside help! I say you take the strike and sit out like you should.”

“But it wasn’t my fault!” Mitsuru protested. “I didn’t mean for Hinata-chan to come help me!”

“It doesn’t matter whether it was planned or not—“

“HuHu~! Look out, Tetsu-chan~!” A bright and cheery voice suddenly interrupted them, and Mitsuru looked up just in time to see Sora jumping into the air and aiming at Tetora with a snowball in each hand.

“Wha—?!” Both attacks struck their target before Tetora had a chance to react, and Sora bounced around in joy. “That’s three strikes now, Tetsu-chan! You’re out~!”

“Wait, I was talking to Mitsuru-kun! That should have been a time-out!”

“HeHe~ But you forgot to call a time-out, didn’t you?” Sora grinned. “The game was still going on. Sora played fair and square~”

Tetora opened his mouth to counter, but he couldn’t find anything to say. Finally he shook his head and waved it off with a laugh. “All right, all right. It’s my loss. I’ll just give it up to you guys, like a man! Great job, both of ya!”

“Yay~! Sora-chan saved the day!” Mitsuru called out, giving his friend a high-five. “But Sora-chan, why did you come over here? Aren’t you busy defending?”

Sora pointed toward their edge of the battleground. “Because I finished off Kanata-nii-san! So I didn’t need to defend anymore~ Look!”

Indeed, one strand of light blue hair was sticking out from a clump of snow on the ground. It seemed to be Kanata’s way of proclaiming he was out.

So this meant—Mitsuru’s smile grew wider as he realized. _The odds were in their favor again!_

“Only Midori-chan is left!” Sora said while giving Mitsuru a playful clap on the back. “Let’s go in for the win! HaHiHuHeHo~!♪”

”Yeah, let’s do it! Dash, dash!”

And with a newfound source of energy, Mitsuru burst into a run again, with Sora at his side. He left all thoughts behind him, running straight ahead, knowing he was going to win this time—knowing that this time, there would be nothing behind him, nothing that could catch up to him, nothing at all to worry about.

 

\--

 

The box had presented a harder puzzle than any they had faced up to this point. The combination lock, which they had to spin in order to find one correct combination of five colors, stumped them at first. Two decorative images etched into both sides of the box were their only clues: on the top, an image of a bird flying out of a window. On the bottom, an ominous image of a rainbow with an eye in the center of it.

The breakthrough came when they noticed the mobile hanging in one corner of the room held miniature sculptures of animals painted in colors that matched those in the combination lock. After Tomoya suggested to turn the mobile so that the toy pigeon was facing the window of the room, Hajime tried moving to the other side of the room so that he was standing directly in front of the rainbow painted on the wall at eye level. From there, he looked in the direction of the mobile, and found that with the help of a little perspective, five of the toy animals lined up in a perfect line.

Quickly, he noted down the colors of the animals—Red, Green, Yellow, Purple, Blue—and they tried to input the combination into the box. Nothing happened.

They were confused for a long while until Tomoya finally pointed out that maybe the mirror on the wall right behind the mobile had some sort of meaning. Quickly, they reversed the order of the colors they had inputted. Blue, Purple, Yellow, Green, Red, and the box opened.

Inside was their final prize—one tightly folded page, completing the set that they had received throughout their quest in the room.

“So this is all of it,” Tomoya breathed. “It’s a lot more complicated than we thought…”

Hajime nodded. They now had four pages in total. The first page was the map of the school that had the fountain labeled as an entrance. The second page contained instructions to open that entrance. As for the pages after that…Hajime guessed they were there to help them navigate the underground layer once they were inside.

“Are you up to it?” Tomoya gave his friend a determined smile. “We should go check out what it’s like, at least.”

Hajime gulped, and then nodded. “We’ve come this far, already. I won’t let all our efforts go to waste.”

Their conversation was interrupted, however, by a _click_ that came from the door, which then abruptly swung open to reveal their unit leader, standing in the doorway with a slightly displeased expression.

“Aha! I knew you two were in here!”

“Nii-chan?” Hajime said in surprise.

“Great timing, Nii-chan!” Tomoya ran to Nazuna with the papers in his hands. “Look, Hajime and I solved all the puzzles in the room and we came up with these. We can really visit the underground layer now!”

“Didn’t I tell you to give up on it?” Nazuna frowned at his junior. “We don’t know what might actually be down there.”

“I know. But I’m willing to take the risk, if it means we can protect ourselves,” Tomoya’s gaze was strong.

“Protect ourselves…” Nazuna looked troubled for a while, and then his expression softened. “I guess you’re right. Things have changed now, so we have to use other means of staying safe.”

“Huh...?” Tomoya seemed confused, but Nazuna didn’t bother to explain more. He took the pages from Tomoya and flipped through them. “This is impressive…You really did a good job, Tomo-chin.”

“It wasn’t just me! Hajime did a lot of work too.”

“But all of this was Tomoya-kun’s idea!” Hajime blushed. “I was just here to help.”

“You both did a great job.” Nazuna smiled at them. “Nii-chan is really proud. Now, I’ll take you both down to the underground layer, but you have to promise me not to touch anything in there. Alright?”

“Of course, Nii-chan,” Hajime said, and Tomoya nodded as well.

“Great.” Nazuna nodded. “I think the first-years’ snowball fight has ended, too, so we’re free to go on this expedition. Let’s hope we don’t get in _too_ much trouble.”

And with that, he held open the door and led his juniors out of the room.

 

\--

 

At this point, Yuuta had given up on looking for his brother.

He thought _he_ was good at hide-and-seek, but his Aniki’s whereabouts had evaded him for so long it was just plain frustrating. He had seen him running toward the main school building earlier in the day, so he went and searched every inch of it—not leaving a single classroom unturned. Still, no Hinata was to be found. Maybe he had gone somewhere else, Yuuta thought, but he really had no idea where he could have gone.

He had no idea what he could be doing, either.

Something about the way Hinata had disappeared from the very beginning, and was acting so suspiciously when he saw him, rang a few warning bells in his head. And of course, there was the fact that he said nothing to Yuuta. Usually when that happened, he was doing something Yuuta wouldn’t approve of, or worse.

But there was only so much Yuuta could do before admitting defeat. He and Hinata didn’t have the sort of mind linkage that happened to twins in fantasy, after all. Besides, it was late afternoon already, and he was exhausted from the snowball fight and running all over the school afterwards. So now he was back in his dorm room, nibbling on some spicy snacks he got from the school store while staring up at the ceiling. 

So of course, he was _really_ surprised when the door suddenly clicked open and his brother walked right in.

_“Aniki???”_

“Whoa, Yuuta-kun? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Hinata laughed as usual, but the sweat on his forehead indicated he was rather tired. “Guess what—I _am_ a ghost! Boo!”

“Quit it, Aniki. Where have you been all day?” Yuuta crossed his arms. “You vanished without telling me a thing. I’m not a ghost hunter, you know.”

“Uuu~ I’m sorry if I made you worry!” Hinata said. “But I thought you were busy having fun in the snowball fight.”

“That’s what made me suspicious. Usually you’d never miss a good snowball fight. Our team won, by the way,” Yuuta added with a smirk. “No thanks to you.”

“Reallyyyyy? Great job! I knew my little brother could do it!” Hinata captured his little brother in a hug, ignoring the last remark. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Stop dodging the subject, Aniki,” Yuuta pushed him away. “I’m asking you what you were doing that made you miss the snowball fight.”

“Hmm,” Hinata considered. “I guess you could say…I was working on a project!”

“Project? What project?”

“I call it the ‘2wink Grand Escape From The Island Plan, Version 1.0’!” Hinata grinned.

“Escape?” Yuuta’s mouth hung open. “We’re _escaping the island?”_

“Exactly~!”

“But—how do you plan to _do_ that? Remember, Kirakuma said that he’ll kill anyone that tries to leave! He’s not kidding, Aniki!”

“That’s why we need a failsafe way to protect ourselves from whatever attacks Kirakuma might throw at us!” Hinata explained proudly. “And I figured it out. We’re going to use the _mikoshi!_ “

“The one in the MaM Practice Room?” Yuuta asked.

“That’s the one~! It’s indestructible under any kind of attack, and you can fit about two people in it, right? We’ll be totally safe in it, it’s perfect! Basically, what I’ve been trying to do today is convert it into an escape ship.”

“An escape ship.” Yuuta echoed in disbelief.

“The first thing I had to do is attach wheels to the bottom, so we can wheel it out of the building,” Hinata said. “It took me a while to find proper wheels that would work, but I ended up taking them off of Sakuma-senpai’s coffin, the one that had wheels under it. And then I tried to make a mast and a sail! I borrowed some wood from the bookshelf that was wrecked last time, and a huge piece of cloth from the Handicrafts Clubroom, and—“

“Aniki. Aniki. Hold on.” Yuuta’s head was spinning as he put up a hand to stop his brother. “First of all, how are you doing all this? Do you have tools or something?”

“Tools? Yeah, I do have tools!” Hinata grinned. “I kept them hidden safely in the MaM Room. Let’s just say they were a lucky find~”

Yuuta shook his head. Everything was happening too fast; he still couldn’t quite believe it. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me, Aniki?”

“…Because I wasn’t sure if it would work. And I didn’t want everyone else to know that we’re escaping, because they’d be mad that we were leaving without them…And I figured you might not like it, either, Yuuta-kun.”

Yuuta fell silent. Memories of the snowball fight they had today came rushing back to him, and he thought of Mitsuru, Tsukasa, Sora, Shinobu…all his precious friends. They had just been running and playing together. Now was he going to leave them all behind to escape on his own?

“I…don’t really want to leave everyone else, Aniki.”

“I know. I get it.” Hinata plopped down on the bed. “But this is probably our only chance. Maybe after we get out, we can figure out everything that really happened, and come back to save everyone else.”

“……”

“Think of all the things we can do once we get out, Yuuta-kun! We can sing and dance again…We can go back to the streets and stores we know so well…We can go back to our fans that have been waiting for us.” Hinata took his brother’s hands. _“I just don’t want us to die here!”_

Finally, Yuuta nodded.

“Okay. As long as we have each other, everything will be fine.”

“Thank you, Yuuta-kun…!” Hinata pulled him into a hug again, and this time, Yuuta didn’t protest. They stayed like that for awhile.

And then the ground began to rumble beneath them.

It was different from the first time, where Yuuta had been outside and he only felt a tremor, a vibration. This was full-on _shaking_. Both twins yelped and clenched to each other as they were quite literally thrown from the bed, and everything in the room clanked and rattled with alarming intensity.

“G-Get down, Aniki!”

Yuuta tried crawling under the bed, but the space underneath was too small. The building was _really_ shaking now; he yelped in fear as their window shattered from the sheer force and cracks began to appear in their walls. Hinata was standing in the middle of the room, frozen, his face pale white.

“Aniki!”

“Yuuta-kun, wait in here!”

All of a sudden, Hinata tossed that over his shoulder and ran towards the door.

“Aniki, where are you going?! It’s dangerous!”

Yuuta didn’t listen, of course, and followed his brother as he sprinted into the hallway. “ _Stop!_ You’re going to get hurt—“

“The project!” Hinata called back without turning. “Everything I did for the _mikoshi!_ If it gets ruined in the earthquake, we might never go back!”

“Wait! _It doesn’t matter! Come back!_ “

Things were even worse out in the hallway, and Yuuta gasped as parts of the ceiling cracked off and dropped down, nearly hitting him. Still, he didn’t stop running after Hinata, who had already disappeared up the stairs.

_Stupid! Stupid Aniki!_

_—he’s going to get himself killed—_

Yuuta was panting by the time he got to the third floor, where the Unit Practice Rooms were located. Dust had permeated the air so much at this point that it was hard to breathe. Forging ahead, he saw the door to the MaM Practice Room slightly ajar.

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Come back, Aniki, _now!_ Before anything—“

The explosion happened just as he was about to reach the door.

Added to the shaking of the earthquake, he was knocked entirely off his feet. The world went white for a second, and then Yuuta found himself crumpled against the opposite wall. In front of him, colorful smoke was billowing out from the MaM room in gushes, filling the hallway completely and blurring his vision. Too much smoke, enough to choke him. Several times what he had seen the day before—

He smelled something burning, and then he finally realized what happened.

The next thing he knew, he was scrambling toward the door and screaming.

_“ANIKI!!!!!!!!!”_

 

\--

 

The second earthquake caught everyone by surprise.

Including Mao, who was in the bathroom when it happened.

The sudden shaking threw him off balance, and he grabbed hold of the stall door to try to steady himself. He tried to stay calm as he pulled his pants back up and sat down on the toilet seat. Considering that the shaking seemed a lot worse than last time, the safest thing to do was probably to stay in the stall, which was a small, enclosed space, where he had some protection from objects falling from above.

He was about to do so, but then he remembered Ritsu.

Previously, they were together in the library, Mao trying his best to research more into what their situation might be, and Ritsu napping next to him. Mao had left him alone briefly to go to the bathroom. His childhood friend was probably curled up like a cat on the ground right now…would the earthquake wake him? Maybe. Probably not.

Mao groaned. 

It was a split-second decision—he could stay here, or he could go and find Ritsu. He sure did hate troublesome things, he thought, as he gritted his teeth and rushed out of the bathroom stall.

It would be no exaggeration to say things were crashing down around him. Mao’s pulse was already racing as he ran down the hall toward the library, stepping into some broken glass on the way but too frantic to register the pain.

He pushed open the library door. Ritsu was right where he left him.

Sound asleep, right next to a precariously shaking bookshelf.

Mao’s heart almost stopped in his chest. The ground shook again and he almost fell right down. The bookshelf teetered on its edge.

“ _Ritsu!_ Ritsu, wake up! _Get away from there!_ “ he screamed.

Ritsu rolled over, still asleep.

“Damn it…” Mao ran toward his childhood friend, intending to pull him away by force.

And then the roughest shake of them all came.

—He realized he never needed to decide in the first place. _Me, or Ritsu?_ That sort of question didn’t need an answer from the start.

Mao jumped onto Ritsu’s limp body just as the bookshelf fell.

 

\--

 

The smell of blood.

Ritsu’s eyes fluttered open. He had smelled blood. What—?

“…Maa-kun?”

The first thing he noticed was Mao’s face, almost directly on top of him. Too close to him. So close he could nearly kiss him. 

And then he noticed the blood.

Ruby red blood dripping down onto him. In a hazy moment it almost made him hungry. There was tasty blood. Whose blood was it?

Oh.

Maa-kun’s blood. Maa-kun was bleeding. Maa-kun was bleeding and motionless on top of him. He couldn’t move. Why couldn’t he move?

In the next instant, Ritsu’s scream was so ear-piercing that even he himself couldn’t hear it.

 

\--

 

“Ritsu-kun. Ritsu-kun, are you all right? —Oh, my goodness. _Isara-kun?”_

“Shh. Do not frighten him. He’s probably in shock.”

Voices reached Ritsu’s ears, but he wasn’t comprehending them. Slowly, he felt a giant weight lifted off his body, and he saw light again. There were a few blurry figures there. He couldn’t bother to tell who they were.

“Ritsu-kun?” One of the figures leaned down and waved a hand near Ritsu’s face. “It’s me, Aoba. I heard you scream, so I gathered some people to rescue you immediately after the earthquake stopped…Are you okay? You look terrible…And Isara-kun is…”

“The bookshelf fell on both of you. It looks like Isara took most of the impact.” Another figure pushed up his glasses as he spoke. “His head was hit, so I think we have to expect the worst.”

“Ritsu? Ritsu?! Is my precious little brother okay?” Another voice sounded.

Ugh. That one he knew. But right now, he didn’t even care about the fact that his Anija was here.

“Is…Maa-kun…dead?” he managed.

“Do not worry about him, Ritsu. You’ll be all right.” He felt his brother’s arms pull him up and cradle him close, and he didn’t even try to fight him. His eyes were still on Mao’s body, lying frozen on the ground.

“Ritsu. Can you walk?” He heard Rei’s gentle voice in his ear again. “We’ll take you to the infirmary soon, but right now, there’s someplace we have to be.”

“But…Maa-kun…”

“He will have to stay here.”

“No…” Ritsu whimpered as his brother picked him up off his feet and started walking out. “No…Maa-kun…Maa-kun!” he reached out a hand toward his childhood friend, who was growing smaller and smaller. “Don’t leave me…”

Rei took him all the way out into the courtyard, where all the other surviving students of Yumenosaki had gathered. It seems that Kirakuma had called for a meeting there. Most of the students there were covered in dust and grime, bruised or bleeding. Everyone looked terrified.

Makoto and Hokuto were standing at the front of the group, doing a head count. After setting Ritsu down near the fountain, Rei walked up to them and whispered a few words into their ears. Both boys’ faces went pale.

“Umm…so we just got word that Isara-kun isn’t here,” Makoto addressed the crowd, his voice trembling a little. “We’re still missing two more people, though.”

“The twins,” Rei said. “I don’t see them anywhere.”

“Oh, but perhaps they have met the same fate as Isara Mao-kun!” a sinister voice cackled, and everyone turned to look at Kirakuma, who had appeared right behind Makoto and Hokuto, grinning. “Haven’t I warned you before? The earthquakes won’t be quite so easy and peaceful anymore~!”

“Kirakuma!” Hokuto snapped. “This is all your doing! The earthquake killed one of our friends!”

“Yes, but that’s the point,” the bear said innocently.

“Wha—?!”

“I told you that this is your ‘motive’ for this round,” Kirakuma spread his arms. “Now, you won’t take it seriously if I don’t go all out, will you? The earthquakes _will_ kill some of you. If a murder does not happen, they _will_ keep on going. And they _will_ get worse every single time!”

“This…This is horrible.” Midori buried his head in his arms. “Please tell me this is just a bad dream.”

“Oh, but it isn’t!”

“You have sunk low, Kirakuma!” Shu snapped. “You have now taken to threatening us to kill by putting our lives in danger?!”

“And what’s wrong with that~?” the bear held a paw to his face in a cute gesture.

“Kirakuma.” Ritsu spoke.

“Hm?” Everyone—Kirakuma included—turned their heads to look at the younger vampire.

“Please. Save Maa-kun.” Ritsu was only dimly aware of his words as he said them. “He wasn’t supposed to die. It was supposed to be me. You can bring him back, right? The same way you did with Ou-sama?”

Kirakuma only cackled. “Why should I? The death was perfectly called for, a consequence of the earthquake and the result of an idiotic act of selflessness!” He raised a paw in the air. “Don’t go begging me for any more miraculous saves from now on. The earthquakes will be out for blood every time, until one of you decides to kill another! And don’t worry, I’ll know which is which.” One red eye sparkled with malice. “And that’s that! Hope you have a wonderful evening!”

With that, the bear disappeared.

A horrible, ominous silence loomed over the students. The snow that was still falling only added to the chilled atmosphere.

Until someone stood up and pointed, shouting “Look!”

One lone figure was trudging across the snowy ground from the direction of the dormitory building. It was one of the Aoi twins, Ritsu vaguely recognized. A pair of blue headphones around his neck, and a pair of pink headphones held in one hand.

Aoi Yuuta stopped in front of the crowd. His eyes were empty, almost glass-like as he spoke.

“Aniki…is gone.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm guessing none of you expected that haha :'D It was extremely difficult to write this chapter and I apologize to people whose favs unexpectedly died... ;_; Please let me know your reactions and guesses for the future!! And as usual follow @dr_es_despair for more ramblings!
> 
> (you were warned tho. school rule #15: The headmaster does not guarantee that students will not die from reasons other than murder or punishment.)


	25. 4.3 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He licked his lips. He feared whatever was waiting for them down there, within the realm of boundless darkness, where no light could ever reach—but he welcomed it all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyy I'm so sorry this chapter took so long I was swamped with real life obligations ;_; but here is the chapter! I meant for it to include more events and end on a cliffhanger, but that would make this chapter too long and the next chapter too short, so...right now it's more of an info dump, but all of it is important so please bear with me! That being said please enjoy~

"Isara!"

_“Isara-kun!”_

Hokuto and Makoto cried out simultaneously as they burst through the door of the library, nearly running over each other in their haste. The entire space was still covered in dust and debris, causing Hokuto to cough, but right now he didn’t care. His eyes merely searched frantically for the figure of their fallen teammate.

“There! There he is!”

Makoto was pointing to a lifeless shape on the ground as he covered his mouth in shock. Hokuto’s breath caught in his throat as he registered the dark red hair, and the even redder liquid that stained their friend from head to toe and was still rapidly spreading on the ground. No, no—this couldn’t be real, he thought. There was so much blood. Too much. How could anyone ever bleed so much—

_an open wound, a pool of blood, a lifeless body_

He squeezed his eyes shut—no, he didn’t want to remember, not now—

_orange hair stained in red_

—no, no, no, not that, anything but that—

_a pale white face, cold hands, eyes that would never sparkle again_

It all rushed back to him, and he suddenly felt as if he was about to throw up.

“aaaaaaAAAAAAAAUGH!”

“Hidaka-kun?!” Makoto cried.

He was crouched on the ground, his head in his arms, his vision fuzzy. Why was he thinking of it again? He thought as he gasped for breath. He thought he had managed to put it all behind him, to learn to live on with it and hope for the best—but right here, in front of his eyes, it had happened again. Another friend and precious teammate was dead. They would never be able to see his smile again or hear his voice. And nothing, nothing at all, could help bring him back at this point.

In a daze, he felt Makoto crouch down next to him and place a hand on his shoulder. It was trembling slightly.

“I’m really sorry, Hidaka-kun…”

“……”

Makoto was sniffling as he spoke. “You’re thinking about Akehoshi-kun, too, right? It’s horrible…we’ve already lost two of us…”

“Three. Anzu, as well.”

“…That’s right…” Makoto lapsed into silence.

“Three of our shining stars have already fell,” Hokuto murmured. “They’ve burned up and turned into meteors that slid across the night sky and then vanished. There’s only you and I left now…”

“I’m so sorry!” Makoto cried. He took off his glasses to wipe his tears hastily. “If only all of us stuck together more…if we protected each other, then maybe it would have been different! This is all my fault—I should have realized how dangerous it was—“

“Oh, I don’t think it’s your fault, Yuuki-kun,” another voice suddenly sounded behind them.

Both whirled around. Hokuto’s eyes widened as he saw who the intruder was. “Student Council President?!”

“Heya.” Eichi gave them a carefree smile. “I’m here to check on my hardworking junior in the Student Council. I must say, he will be greatly missed.”

“That’s not your real reason for coming,” Hokuto glared at the President coldly. “Tell us what you want to say, or leave.”

“Alright.” Eichi chuckled. “Simply speaking, I don’t think Isara-kun’s death was due to the fault of either of you.”

“Huh?” Makoto stared at him.

“You see, I don’t think Sakuma-kun had the heart to tell you the full truth,” the President went on. “A trusted source of mine tells me that poor Isara-kun was not merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead, he had put himself into this position very much deliberately—in order to save his good friend, Ritsu-kun.”

“…What?” Hokuto’s voice trembled as he asked. “You mean it was Ritsu who was—“

“Indeed.” Eichi proceeded to give the two members of Trickstar a brief rundown of the facts. “It is essentially all due to Ritsu-kun that Isara-kun ended up here, so I hope you don’t blame yourselves too much.” He smiled. “Oh, I didn’t realize—this means your friend chose his childhood friend over the two of you, doesn’t it? I’m sorry. That must be difficult to hear.”

“Isara chose Ritsu…over us…?”

“If it weren’t for his attachment to his childhood friend, perhaps he would still be here, with the two of you,” Eichi mused. “But he chose to leave the two of you and sacrifice himself instead…for his ‘sleeping beauty’, you could say.”

“Stop talking about Isara-kun like that!” Makoto frowned. “He didn’t do anything wrong! He was trying to save someone!”

“But, see, if not for that ‘someone’’s actions, he really didn’t have to die,” Eichi pointed out. “Anyway—I’m simply here to deliver the message to you, because I hope you two do not blame yourselves too much for his death. I know Trickstar can keep shining even after the loss of some of its members. I hope you’ll stay strong.” He smiled again, and then waved his hand and turned away towards the exit.

“Wait!” Makoto called out, but the President was already gone.

“That meddling Emperor…” Hokuto clenched his fist tightly as he looked down to the ground. 

“You don’t really believe him, right?” Makoto settled himself back down at Hokuto’s side. “About Isara-kun choosing Ritsu-kun over us, and all that.”

“……” Hokuto didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he redirected his gaze toward Mao’s lifeless corpse on the ground, as if begging for a direct answer from his lost friend. What had he been thinking when he jumped beneath the falling bookshelf? he wondered in misery. Was there determination? Pain? Regret? Had the images of his unitmates crossed his mind even once when he did it?

…Surely, there was no way to find out anymore.

He was about to reach out a hand to Mao, as if he wished to wake him, but jerked it back immediately when a certain red-and-gold colored bear popped up out of the ground right between them.

“Wha— _Kirakuma?!“_

“Well, how are you fine gentlemen doing today?” the bear asked them with a devious grin.

“What are you doing here?” Makoto cried.

“Now, now, don’t act so surprised,” Kirakuma turned away from them. “I’m just here to do an annoying little job that I hafta do. I’m disposing of the body.”

“Disposing of the body…?” Hokuto repeated in disbelief.

“Yes, of course! Who do you think cleans up after you lot when you leave so many dead bodies lying around? It’s not an easy task, y’know, running a murder show. If I hadn’t been doing this the whole time, all these dead bodies would be left to rot where you can see and smell ‘em! Now, that’s not going to be acceptable on my part. An utter lack of hygiene! But that means I’ll have to do dirty work behind the scenes all the time. What a hassle. You lot should thank me!”

The bear made a face that looked like he was pouting, but Hokuto wasn’t quite sure. He decided to disregard it considering how much it clashed with his view of reality.

“I’ve said all I have to say, so don’t be in my way!” The bear waved a paw at them in disregard. “Now, let’s get this job finished.” He hoisted one of Mao’s limp arms onto his small shoulder, and proceeded to slowly drag the red-haired boy toward the exit.

“W-Wait!” Hokuto suddenly snapped back to attention. “Don’t take him just yet! Can’t we have a little time together with him first?”

“Hm? As if I care about that!” Kirakuma cackled. “Any more time you spend with your friend will still be futile, you know. Death is the end! Nothing can ever change that! You may as well assume that in this game, once you die, you no longer exist~! Heh-heh-heh.”

“Why you—“

“At least tell us where you’re taking him!” Makoto shouted.

But the bear didn’t reply. The two members of Trickstar scrambled to their feet to chase down Kirakuma as he was dragging Mao away—but he turned a corner, out of the library door…and it should have been impossible for him to move that fast, but by the time Hokuto and Makoto reached the exit, the bear—and their friend—had disappeared.

 

\--

 

Tomoya knew Hajime was thinking of something every time he looked over at him. He had known him long enough to tell: those darting eyes, the mouth that opened halfway whenever there was a lapse in conversation but snapped shut again out of a sort of shy hesitation. 

He was pretty sure what he was thinking of, too.

It pained him, not only because Hajime wasn’t saying it for fear of his reaction—but also because he was probably right. He prayed for Hajime not to say what he was thinking, because he didn’t want to have to face the decision of maintaining what he thought was right or hurting his friend.

They were sitting together on the outside edge of the courtyard, where most students were still gathered. No one really dared to go back inside. Many things inside the school were probably still within danger of falling—Nazuna as well as a few other third-years had volunteered to go in and check the state of the damage, and they weren’t back yet.

The strained atmosphere was interrupted suddenly by a fresh loaf of bread stuck right under their noses.

“You two look kinda sad, yanno~! Come on, eat this tasty bread and you’ll won’t be sad anymore!”

Mitsuru, their energetic unitmate, was standing in front of them with a goofy smile on his face. He was chewing on his own loaf of bread, which he had probably gotten in the school store. Tomoya frowned.

“Idiot Mitsuru…Why did you go back into the building? It’s really dangerous, you know. We don’t know when the next earthquake will be.”

“Hmm~But I was hungry! I can’t do anything on an empty stomach, yanno~ Even in times of crisis, people gotta eat!” Mitsuru said as he stuffed more bread into his mouth. “Come on, eat up, eat up~ You must be hungry, too!”

“Umm…thanks.” Tomoya hesitated before taking the bread and handing it to Hajime first. 

“Besides, if you think it’s dangerous, I have a great idea!” Mitsuru added, his entire face lighting up like a lightbulb. “We can grab lots and lots of bread from the school store, and store them up underground! Then we won’t have to worry about the earthquakes, right? It was totally safe down there when the earthquake happened, yanno~”

Ah. That’s right. Tomoya felt Hajime’s gaze from the left side fervently burn into him.

The underground was safe from the earthquakes—they had testified that as a fact. Earlier, Nazuna had brought them all there to investigate following Tomoya and Hajime’s discovery of how to unlock the secret layer. It was a strange, surprising place, and far larger than they had thought. It seemed to stretch beneath the entirety of the area covered by the main school building, and there were still many spaces they had not explored entirely. That was because just as they ventured into the layer, the earthquake had happened—but what they felt was only a faint rumbling beneath their feet. Nevertheless, they had ducked for cover, but everything in the underground stayed more or less intact, and at no point did anything come crashing down.

So, of course, they were in for a huge shock when they returned aboveground and saw what had happened up there.

“…Yeah, I’ve thought of that already,” Tomoya replied at last. “The underground is a safe place for us to hide during these times, huh.”

He could feel Hajime looking at him again, but fortunately, he was rescued from having to say anything by their unit leader, who was running towards them from the main school building.

“Nii-chan!”

“Nii-chan, how was the survey mission…?”

“Hey, errywun—I mean, everyone.” Nazuna paused in front of them to catch a breath, trying to put on a smile, but despite his efforts, a faint frown still lingered on his brow. “About the survey mission…I have some bad news.”

“What is it?” Hajime asked, concerned.

“Well…the buildings are still intact,” Nazuna said, “but there’s one problem. Most of the windows have been damaged or were outright broken in the earthquake…and this includes the dormitory building as well. A lot of the rooms already have snow blowing into them. All the other buildings have the same problem. If we don’t find some way to fix this, we won’t have a place to stay that’ll be sheltered from the cold weather.”

Silence fell upon the four of them. To think that it would come to this—Tomoya could almost imagine Kirakuma laughing at them already. When the snow first fell, not one person could say why, so they had all disregarded it, and Mitsuru and his friends had even played in it so eagerly…Now, he realized it was all part of Kirakuma’s plot to literally drive everyone into a corner, with no place to stay.

Everyone, that is, other than…

“Nii-chan!” Hajime burst out. “I think…we should let everyone stay in the underground layer!”

“Hajime!” Tomoya yelled.

His friend faced him, with red eyes and flushed cheeks that indicated his distress. “I can’t stand it, Tomoya-kun! I can’t stand seeing everyone with no choice like this! If we don’t do something, more people will die, from the earthquakes or from the cold…They’ll be pushed to kill each other then…And are we just going to hide and watch our friends die? I don’t want to…I don’t want to! We have the solution to everything, Tomoya-kun! The underground is big enough for everyone to stay. If we just share it, maybe no one will have to die…maybe Kirakuma-san will get bored and end the earthquakes! _We can save everyone if we just try!”_

Tomoya gritted his teeth. He didn’t want to argue, he really didn’t—he hated seeing Hajime’s sad face more than anything. But he had sworn to protect his friend. Ever since the occurrence of the first murder on the island he had thought in his heart to bring Hajime out of this alive. He would follow through with it even if it meant he had to hurt the person he wanted to protect.

“Hajime. I know you want to protect everyone. But it’s too dangerous. _It’s way too dangerous!”_ he repeated, grasping Hajime by the shoulders and forcing him to look into his eyes. “Think about what we’ll be doing if we give up the underground layer to everyone here. We’ll lose our only advantage in the game, our sanctuary, and everyone will be cramped into that dark, dusty common space with us. And do you really expect Kirakuma to just give up on the motive like that? He’ll wait until one of us inevitably grows tired of living in the underground like prisoners. And when someone decides to commit a murder, we won’t even have anywhere to run and hide…!” He took a breath. “Please, Hajime. I don’t want us to throw away our one chance of being safe. If we just hide out down there until everything is over…Nothing will ever happen to us!”

The two boys stood there for awhile, neither of them saying anything, Hajime looking like he was about to cry, and Tomoya staring down at the ground, shaken from all he had just said. On their side, Mitsuru was gazing at them in wide-eyed surprise, and Nazuna simply looked pensive.

“Nii-chan, please.” Hajime turned toward Nazuna, his tone almost begging. “We wanted to save everyone, right? I don’t understand…why aren’t we doing that anymore?”

“The circumstances are extreme,” Tomoya argued. “I really don’t want to do this, but there’s no other way to make sure none of us die.”

“But what about all our friends?”

“I don’t think…we can even trust anyone other than ourselves right now,” Tomoya said, his voice nearly inaudible.

_“Tomoya-kun!”_

Tomoya didn’t need to look to know his friend was looking at him in shock and horror. He didn’t meet Hajime’s eyes. He was too ashamed to.

“All right, both of you.” Nazuna’s tone was grave as he pulled the two boys apart. “I understand both of your reasoning. Hajime-chin, I know the underground can be helpful to everyone. And Tomo-chin, I understand that keeping it to ourselves is the safest option.” He frowned. “But it’s bad if we argue amongst ourselves like this, and I really don’t want to see you two in conflict…So leave this to Nii-chan, okay? I’ll think about all of our options and come up with the best solution. I am still your leader, after all.” 

“…Okay,” Hajime said.

“Okay,” Tomoya echoed.

Nazuna smiled. “That’s good. Actually, Rei-chin called a meeting for everybody in thirty minutes to discuss our next steps…so we have until then to figure things out. Please don’t be hostile to each other from here, okay?”

Both boys nodded.

As Nazuna left them and began pacing the courtyard in thought, Hajime turned toward Tomoya and threw his arms around him. “I—I just don’t want anybody to die!”

“……” Tomoya returned the hug, pulling him close. “…And I don’t want _us_ to die, Hajime.”

Mitsuru stared at them as they remained there for a while, before finally speaking.

“So…are we gonna go get the tasty bread or not?”

 

\--

 

Once again they gathered in the courtyard. By this time the sun was setting, and the air had gotten a few degrees chillier than before. Several of them were shivering. Rei had called the meeting out in the open for a reason, of course. He was quite sure that if they all gathered indoors in the same space, Kirakuma would no doubt see that as an opportunity to trigger an earthquake and bury them all alive; if not all, then some of them. Right now, their best bet was to stay away from the buildings altogether.

Rei looked around the crowd. Ritsu was here, and so was Yuuta, although both stuck to the edges of the group and didn’t say a word to anyone else. The conditions of the two boys worried him greatly, although—and this certainly wasn’t bias—Ritsu in particular. Usually, when Ritsu began ignoring him and fighting him for every little thing he did, it was a slight cause for concern; but this time, when he didn’t even _react_ to Rei’s care and simply let his older brother do what he pleased—now _that_ was absolutely terrifying.

Right now, though, the condition of Ritsu was only one of the many problems Rei was facing.

“All right, everyone,” the vampire raised one hand to silence the chatter. “Let us commence the emergency meeting.”

“It really is an emergency, ain’t it?” Koga grumbled from the side.

Rei ignored him. “First of all, as you may have all heard already…The most pressing problem we need to address is the lack of a safe space we can use to shield ourselves from the cold. There are a few rooms in the school that still have windows intact, but they are not enough to house all of us. Does anyone have any suggestions for solving this?”

Kuro raised his hand from within the crowd. “If we’re talking about fixing the windows, can we try to put up wooden boards or somethin’ to block out the cold? We could take apart some wooden things in the school, kinda like what Mikejima did with the bookshelf in the underground archives.”

“Y-You want to take apart more bookshelves?” Tsumugi cried. “That’s too cruel! I just managed to finish reorganizing everything down there—please think about the poor books that won’t have a home anymore!”

“Peace, Aoba-kun. No one said anything about taking apart bookshelves,” Rei said. “We may be able to make do with the desks and chairs in the classrooms…although, now that I think of it, do we have the tools to do so? Mikejima-kun had a toolbox, but…has anyone seen it since the incident occurred?”

Rei looked over the crowd, and blank faces looked back. It seems as if no one had any idea of where the toolbox might be. He frowned inwardly—the fact that such an important item seemed to have vanished into thin air worried him.

After all, it was always a frightening prospect when one didn’t know where a dangerous object was.

“…Hmm. So it seems we don’t know where the toolbox is. If that’s so, then there’s no way we can carry forth with Kiryu-kun’s plan,” he said, making a mental note to investigate the whereabouts of the toolbox later. “Does anyone have any other ideas?”

The crowd traded glum glances among themselves. Rei could tell already that something heavy was permeating the air within them, invisible, yet undoubtedly palpable, resulting in nothing but an uneasy silence. He wouldn’t blame them—even he had never before felt so defeated, so cornered, with no way left to turn. Perhaps, he thought, this was what one meant by _despair_.

“Trapped no matter where we go…” he muttered to himself. “Crushed if we are indoors, and frozen to death if we are outdoors. Is there really no way out of this?”

“—Rei-chin!”

Rei started. He glanced toward the crowd, where one small hand was sticking up resolutely. “Nito-kun? Is there something you’d like to say?”

“Yes.” Everyone turned to look at Nazuna, lips set in determination as if he had just made up his mind about something. “I…that is, Ra*bits has a proposal to make to all of you!”

“Umm…Nii-chan?” Tomoya said in surprise next to him. Nazuna made a small motion for him to stop and listen, and mouthed “It’s okay.”

The leader of Ra*bits moved through the crowd and faced everyone while standing at the forefront, next to Rei. He cleared his throat, and then held up a few pieces of paper.

“Ra*bits has been given a way to a _secret underground layer_ of the school!”

Murmurs erupted throughout the crowd. “A secret underground layer?” “What’s that?” “Why don’t we know anything about it?”

“Everyone, quiet down,” Nazuna said. “Let me explain everything…”

And he did. Rei listened in fascination as the small third-year gave a detailed description of how they had come across the clues for entering the secret layer inside their Unit Practice Room, and then how they had ventured down there when no one else was watching, and found out that the underground was safe from the earthquakes.

“…and now,” he finished, “we’re going to offer the underground layer to everyone as a sanctuary.”

Rei realized that he was smiling. Impressive—quite impressive, he thought. The little rabbits had come up with a solution to this situation that he would never have dreamt of. No doubt, everyone else in the crowd was smiling of relief as well. “I must say, Nito-kun, you have all our gratitude—and our utmost admiration—for doing this. Allow me to thank you.”

_—Although, perhaps a little too impressive—perhaps a little too easy. Had Kirakuma prepared such a convenient solution for them specifically? Was it a trap?_

Rei pushed aside that thought. It wasn’t as if they had much choice.

Nazuna grinned. “Hold on a sec, Rei-chin. I’m not done yet.” Then he turned back to the students and spoke again.

“However, we are only going to offer the underground layer to everyone under a few _conditions._ If you don’t agree to these conditions, we won’t agree to share the space with you.”

“…And what would those be?”

“First of all, some spaces will be designated to Ra*bits members _only,_ and no one else will be allowed to enter those spaces. It’s only fair, because the underground was meant to be Ra*bits’ property after all.”

“Second of all,” Nazuna continued, “we’ll be establishing some rules with regards to where we will all be staying and what places we can and cannot enter. Don’t worry—these rules will be established only in order to protect everyone and minimize the danger of a murder happening. Is that all right with everyone?”

No one said anything in particular, and most of the students nodded, grudgingly or not. Nazuna took that as acquiescence of their conditions, and smiled in satisfaction. Beneath, in the crowd, both Tomoya and Hajime looked relieved.

“Hold on a moment,” Eichi spoke up. “I must ask, what exactly is the underground like? There’s nothing dangerous, is there?”

Nazuna considered. “Well…Ra*bits hasn’t been to every area of the underground, either. We’ve only seen a small section, but it doesn’t seem dangerous so far. The only way to know what the rest of it is like is to go there and see for ourselves.”

Rei smiled to himself. The underground—what a curious entity. Curiouser still that it had been given to the young and innocent Ra*bits. Rei knew of secret passages in Yumenosaki, but it seemed that this underground layer was something new altogether. Perhaps Kirakuma had built it. If so, then it must certainly hold more secrets than it seems at first glance.

“Then, if this is what we all choose…shall we hence go on an expedition, to the depths of the underground?”

He licked his lips. He feared whatever was waiting for them down there, within the realm of boundless darkness, where no light could ever reach—but he welcomed it all the same.

 

\--

 

As per Mitsuru’s request, they stocked up on food and water before their expedition. Everyone carried enough to last them a few days, but there was, of course, a limit to how much they could bring.

Pressing down on two stone bricks on the side of the fountain in exactly the way shown on their sheet of instructions caused a section of the ground to open up, revealing a rickety ladder leading down. It surprised Tsukasa—like an entrance to a secret dungeon in an old castle. He had heard stories like that from his family members. Upon climbing down the ladder, though, he found himself not within any dungeon, but rather a small, enclosed room—an _elevator_ , it seemed. There were only two buttons displayed on the elevator panel: up and down. 

“Why do they have to prepare an elevator for this?” Keito asked in annoyance as he was squeezed uncomfortably into a corner. Luckily, there was barely enough room in the elevator for all of them. “Stairs are much more convenient—and don’t have the danger of malfunctioning.”

“You say that as if the bear has any concern for our safety,” Kuro pointed out.

How wonderful—now Tsukasa couldn’t get the worry out of his head that the elevator would break down and send them all to their deaths somehow. He held his breath as Nazuna pressed the “down” button and the elevator began to descend. Or maybe it didn’t. It seemed to be moving so slowly that he couldn’t feel if it was moving at all. 

After a short while, there was a _ding_ , and to everyone’s relief, the doors opened without a hitch.

Tsukasa walked out along with everyone else into a large, cavernous space lit by a few dim lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. If he had to describe what sort of feeling the space gave him, he would have to say a dusty, abandoned storage basement—the walls and floor were hard concrete, painted a stark gray color, and the air smelled dry and stale as if no one had bothered to come to this place in years. The entire space was about the size of several classrooms added together. Asides from the elevator they had just walked out of, there were three large steel doors on the three other walls of the room, to their front, left, and right. They were the kind of door that seemed far too forbidding and didn’t particularly make you want to go through them.

Within the room, there were large bookcases lining the wall that seemed to contain all sorts of reference materials. Tables and chairs were set out throughout the room and gathered in the places where light was strongest; there was also paper, pens, and notebooks laid out. As bizarre as it was, the room was almost like a study. One thing, however, did not fit in at all: a large, cement, rectangular pole situated in the center of the room, stretching from floor to ceiling.

“Hm? I wonder that is in the middle?” he pointed to it and asked.

“I’m guessing it’s a support pole,” said Makoto. “The room is pretty big, so they probably put it there to make sure it doesn’t collapse during an earthquake or something.”

“So we _are_ safe from the earthquakes?” Midori breathed out a sigh. “At least maybe I can sleep at night now…”

“But hold on, this isn’t the entire space, right?” Arashi asked. “It would be a little bit too cramped if _all_ of us stayed here, don’t you think~?”

“It’s not.” Nazuna pulled out the pieces of paper he kept with him and flipped to the third page. “According to our map, this is only one of nine rooms in the underground. The whole thing is probably as big as the school itself.”

“There are _nine_ rooms?”

Everyone, including Tsukasa, crowded around Nazuna to see the map he was holding. Indeed, on the page were nine squares spread out in a 3x3 grid shape; they had even been labeled, from left to right and top to bottom, with the numbers 1 through 9. The room on the bottom center, numbered Room 8, was marked “Entrance."

“We’re in Room 8 right now,” Nazuna said. “The room in front of us is Room 5, and Rooms 7 and 9 are on either side of us.”

“HuHu~! Let’s go and see what the other rooms are like, then!” Sora called out, running toward the door on the left and then trying it. It was locked.

“The doors to Rooms 7 and 9 are password protected,” Nazuna said, pointing to a small keypad next to the door. “But the door to Room 5 isn’t, so that’s where we’ll go next.”

They took some time looking around—nothing in Room 8 looked particularly out of place or dangerous—and then entered Room 5, the centermost room. 

Room 5 turned out to be a lounge of some sort. It reminded Tsukasa of their living room back at home, except far spacier and not quite as cozy and homely—although it was a decent step up from the room before it. Sofas that looked comfortable enough to sleep on were scattered about the room, and a warm fireplace crackled against one of the walls. There were plenty of tables and chairs, and a few cupboards with tea sets and eating utensils, but no food in sight. Unlike in Room 8, there was no support pole in the center of the room. Occupying its space instead was a large mahogany table that seemed to be entirely empty. It caught his attention, so as everyone spread around the room to observe, he moved towards the table.

“This is the farthest room that Ra*bits came to,” Nazuna explained. “We don’t know anything about what’s beyond here.”

Tsukasa could see doors on all four walls of the room this time, and while the doors on either side of them had keypads, the door directly across from them didn’t.

“That means we’ll be exploring! I wanna open as many doors as I can so I can run as far as I want~!” Mitsuru called out, a large grin on his face, as he zipped across the room to the door in front of them. “Dash dash—Huh?”

He stopped in front of the doors, one hand on the handle, which wasn’t budging. 

“It’s locked?”

“What? It’s locked?” Tomoya said in surprise. “But that doesn’t make sense—it doesn’t have a keypad next to it!”

“Nito-kun. Do you have an explanation for this?” Rei turned towards Nazuna, who was studying the map carefully.

“…It looks like there’s some sort of special way to access Room 2,” Nazuna frowned. “But I don’t really know what it means.”

He held out the map so more of the students could see it. Tsukasa quickly saw what Nazuna was referring to: in the middle of the square labeled Room 5, there was a small icon of another 3x3 grid and an arrow pointing from the grid to the room above it, Room 2. The icon looked almost like a keypad, but there was no keypad in sight.

“I think Kirakuma is leaving a clue for us,” Hajime said after studying the map for some time. “It’s a puzzle, like our Unit Practice Room, right? Maybe we should start by seeing if there’s anything in the room that looks like a grid.”

“…A grid? Perhaps, like the tile game in the center table?” Tsukasa suggested.

“Tile game?” Everyone soon crowded around where he was standing, in front of the large center table. The table wasn’t empty after all; affixed to the tabletop was indeed some sort of tile game, the very simple sort a child might play, with eight movable tiles in a 3x3 grid, which could be pieced together to form a final image.

“You’re right—it _does_ look like a grid!” Tomoya said excitedly. “Maybe if we solve it, it’ll be able to tell us something!”

“That’s quite a simple task. I enjoy puzzles and games, so this is easy to me,” Tsukasa said, his hands already reaching for the tiles and shifting them around. He felt himself smiling a little as he did it—it’s been a while since he was able to enjoy a simple, relaxing game. If only Kirakuma had provided some board games for them—like chess, perhaps—so they could pass the time in this bland underground.

As the pieces were moved, the picture they formed became increasingly evident—an image of Kirakuma’s face, grinning out at them. It was more than a little bit unsettling, but Tsukasa didn’t let that stop him from solving the puzzle. Finally he slid the last piece into place—noticing that unlike most tile games, the missing piece ended up on the center of the right column rather than in a corner—and there was a click from the door on the other side of the room.

“Did that work?” Tomoya ran over to the door and tested the doorknob. It turned, and everyone cheered.

“HeHe~ Thanks to Tsuka-chan, it looks like we just unlocked a new area!” Sora called out. 

“It’s nothing,” Tsukasa waved it off, but didn’t ignore the little bit of pride welling up in his chest.

“Hey—if we finished the puzzle already, can I scramble it up again?” Mitsuru asked, squeezing past Tsukasa to place one hand on the completed tile game. “I don’t like seeing that bear’s face here…it creeps me out, yanno~”

“Wait, hold on!” Tomoya yelled. “If you scramble it, the door might lock itself again—“

But Mitsuru had already pushed around the tiles enough to distort the game board entirely. Hurriedly, Tomoya tried the doorknob again, but to everyone’s relief, it was still open.

“I guess once you unlock it, it stays open no matter what,” he said. 

“So…are we going in or not?” Tetora asked in anticipation.

“Might as well…”

Tomoya took a breath, pushed on the door and walked inside. The rest of the students gathered around him and followed.

The first thing Tsukasa noticed was that it was pitch black—unlike all of the other rooms they had been in, no light was on. He felt along the wall for a light switch, but there seemed to be none. The second thing he noticed was some sort of strange mechanical beeping and humming. As everyone quieted down it seemed to get even louder, making him extraordinarily nervous.

And then, very abruptly, the beeping and humming stopped. A pleasant-sounding chime played across the room, followed by a mechanical voice: _“Operative personnel recognized. All access to the facility now granted.”_

And all the lights turned on.

Tsukasa cringed as the sudden bright lights struck his eyes, but as his vision adjusted, he let out an audible gasp. Whatever he was expecting to find in this room, this was most _certainly_ not it.

Stark white lights from above illuminated a room that resembled half factory, half storage facility. More precisely, a factory for Kirakumas. Kirakumas lined the walls on shelves, overflowed out of paper boxes pushed against the wall, and sat on the ground in rows, looking out at them with empty, creepy stares. More Kirakumas travelled the length of the room on conveyer belts where they were assembled and painted by all sorts of strange machinery. None of the bears seemed _alive_ , exactly; currently they were simply stuffed animals with a particularly repulsive appearance. But that might just be more disturbing in and of itself.

Tsukasa noticed that just like Room 8, this room had a support pole in the center of it. There were also two steel doors on either side of them.

”Wha…What even _is_ this?” Tomoya yelled. “A mass-Kirakuma-producing factory?!”

“ _Amazing!_ Isn’t the world just full of surprises?” Wataru let out a loud laugh. “What we see is merely a facade! _This_ is what truly lies behind the scenes!”

“I don’t want to hear you talking about this at all, Masked Pervert!”

“This is very worrying,” Rei put in. “There are far more of them than I had expected…”

“With these numbers, they can easily form an army,” Yuzuru agreed.

“…So this is what Ritsu-senpai meant when he spoke about Kirakumas being ‘produced in bulk’,” Tsukasa said after getting over his initial shock. “I’m impressed, Ritsu-senpai. You had guessed all of it.”

No response came. Tsukasa turned his head around to look for Ritsu, and eventually saw his senpai’s figure hidden at the very edge of the group, his head angled away from them. It didn’t even seem as if he registered their conversation.

“Um, Ritsu-senpai…?”

Out of concern, he tried to make his way over to his senpai, intending to ask how he was feeling. He was thus taken aback when Ritsu suddenly turned his head and threw them all a glare that was so utterly bitter and scornful it felt almost physically painful.

“I can’t believe you all are missing the most important thing here,” the vampire said in distaste. It was the first time he had opened his mouth since his outburst during Kirakuma’s meeting. “Have you still not noticed? The bears aren’t what we should be worrying about right now.”

“…So what is the most important thing?” Tsukasa asked, confused.

“Didn’t you all hear the announcement?” Ritsu rolled back his head and his gaze swept across the group slowly. “When we all walked in, it said _Operative personnel recognized._ “

“Yes, we heard…” Arashi began to nod, and then put a hand to his face. “Oh, no.”

“That’s right. The system recognized someone in here that was ‘Operative personnel’. Or, someone who’s in a position to have access to this whole Kirakuma-making factory.” Ritsu smiled darkly. “We’re the only ones in the room right now. So… _one of us_ here is in league with the mastermind.”

 

\--

 

It was really quite surprising how quickly they could get things done when they had been thrown into a situation of mutual distrust. Casual chatter between the students ceased entirely, and not a single extra sound was uttered as they spread out to investigate the three rooms they had unlocked so far. Midori worked with the other first-years of Ryuseitai to look around Room 2, searching for a way to shut off the machinery, but their results were nil. Other reports back were of similar condition.

It wasn’t like he was in much of a good mood to begin with, but this just made things about ten times more depressing.

Midori sat against a wall and sighed his usual sigh as he watched the four members of Ra*bits discuss something among themselves. They had the map out in front of them. Pretty soon, Nazuna folded up the map again and got everyone’s attention.

“I think it’s time for us to explore all the other rooms here. But before we do that, you all remember the conditions we made, right?”

“Yes,” Keito nodded. “We’ll follow your rules as to what areas we can access.”

“That’s right,” said Nazuna. “If you’re wondering how it’s going to be done, Ra*bits holds all of the passcodes required to access each room.” From his stack of papers he held up and waved the final, fourth page, before quickly putting it back again. “As per our first condition, we’re saving one room exclusively for Ra*bits members, so _none_ of you will get the code. That’ll be Room 6.”

“What’s in Room 6?” Hokuto asked. “Is it special?”

“Well, I believe Room 6 was labelled ‘special room’ on the map,” Eichi said with a smile. “So it must be something very special indeed.”

“We don’t know yet, but we’re keeping the best stuff to ourselves~!” Mitsuru yelled.

“Moving on,” Nazuna continued. “Our second condition pertains to the distribution of living quarters.”

“Living quarters?” Shinobu perked up when he heard that. “Are there living quarters in the underground, de gozaru?”

“According to the map, Rooms 1, 3, 7, and 9 are living quarters,” Tomoya explained. “In other words, the corner rooms. We went into one of them on our first trip here, and we saw that each room contains seven smaller bedrooms.”

Seven small bedrooms per room…four rooms in total. Midori did the math in his head. That was 28 spaces—exactly the number of living students they had left. He felt a chill down his spine. How could the numbers be so eerily perfect? It was as if it was a plan of the mastermind—or even something above and beyond that, a higher entity…

“We want you to choose where you’ll be staying right now, and then we’ll give you the password to that room _only_.” Nazuna said. “You won’t have access to the other rooms.”

“Nnah? Why’s that?” Mika spoke up. “Are ya worried we’ll hurt each other?”

“It’s for your own safety, because the small bedrooms in each living space don’t lock,” Nazuna explained. “You can choose to stay in a room with the six people you trust the most, and…if anything _does_ happen, we’ll know it’s one of those people.”

“That’ll make it even worse?!”

The leader of Ra*bits shrugged and gave Mika an apologetic look. “There’s not much else I can do. At least I want to protect everyone as much as I _can_. So…I’ll leave you all to sort yourselves into the rooms. The four of us, Ra*bits, will stay together, of course.”

“The three of us will be alright together, yeah?” Tetora addressed Midori and Shinobu. The little ninja nodded enthusiastically while Midori merely shrugged. He didn’t know who to trust anymore, but if he had to pick someone, he supposed his unit members were good enough.

“Hold on a moment,” someone said. Midori turned and was surprised to see Yuzuru addressing Nazuna with a polite smile. “I’m afraid I’d like to make an objection.”

“Hm?” Nazuna seemed equally surprised. “What objection? If you mean the living quarters arrangement, then I don’t think there’s room for discussion.”

“No, it is regarding the fact that the four members of Ra*bits would be staying together,” Yuzuru said. “I think it may not be such a wise choice. Consider, for example, if something happened to the room that the four of you were staying in—perhaps due to a particularly strong earthquake or other causes. As the rest of us do not have access to your room, it will be impossible for us to enter the room and rescue you, and we will have no access to other rooms, either. That may become extremely dangerous. If you intend on keeping all the passcodes to yourself, I would highly suggest having one member of Ra*bits in _each_ room.”

“But…that’s not fair,” Tomoya argued. “Why should we split up when everyone else can stick with their unit?”

“You have allotted one room for yourselves exclusively,” Yuzuru reminded him. “I believe it’s not too much to ask to have you spread out in the living quarters as a safety precaution.”

“Umm…Nii-chan?” Tomoya turned toward his unit leader for help. Nazuna was frowning as he considered.

“…All right. We’ll listen to that request.”

“Nii-chan!” Tomoya protested. “It’s not a good idea. He’s trying to split us up!”

“No, Nii-chan is right,” Hajime argued. “We still have to consider everyone else. When we have privilege, we also have responsibility…that’s what my family always taught me, anyway.”

“Don’t worry,” Nazuna gave his junior a smile. “We still have an entire room to ourselves. It’ll be all right.”

And with that it was settled; the living arrangements were decided from there. Tomoya was in Room 1 along with Eichi, Wataru, Kanata, Rei, Koga, and Adonis; Mitsuru was in Room 3 with Tetora, Shinobu, Midori, Keito, Souma, and Kuro; Nazuna was in Room 7 with Sora, Natsume, Tsumugi, Mika, Shu, and Yuuta; and Hajime was in Room 9 with Ritsu, Arashi, Tsukasa, Hokuto, Makoto, and Yuzuru.

They broke off in their respective groups, and Midori and co. had to wait for Mitsuru to run over to Nazuna and double-check their passcode to Room 3 before coming back and relaying it to them. After entering the passcode, they dropped in briefly to look; although there was really nothing to see besides seven extremely plain bedrooms, furnished with nothing but a bed, a lamp, and a dresser. There was also one bathroom for the seven of them to share. A support pole stood in the center of the room; it looked like Room 5 was the only room that didn’t have one. Pretty soon they all returned and gathered in the center room again.

Finally someone mentioned that they hadn’t been in Room 4 yet.

“What’s in there, anyway?” Koga asked as he drummed his fingers on a table in impatience, glancing toward the imposing steel door.

Nazuna glanced at his map. “I’m not sure. It’s labelled on the map as a skull, which is really unsettling…It seems like it might be dangerous.”

“Skulls mean DEATH, isn’t that RIGHT?” Natsume chimed in. “If I were YOU, I would think twice about entering that ROOM.”

“It’s not going to be something like a death room, right…?” Midori mumbled. “Like, you go in, and you’re killed instantly…actually, that sounds kinda nice. If that were the case, maybe I should just go in…”

“No, no, don’t be so ‘negative’, Midori~” Kanata berated him gently. “Maybe it is something ‘better’ than that…for example, a place where ‘corpses’ are collected ♪“

“…In any case, there is only one way to find out, correct?” Souma stated. “The room may contain valuable information. I say we take the risk and investigate.”

“But…doesn’t that mean we might die?” Arashi gasped.

“We can’t assume that much from a picture drawn on the map,” Kuro reasoned, and then stood up. “I’m with Kanzaki on this. There’s gotta be a person at the front who’s brave enough to do it. I’ll be that person, then.”

“Taishou! That’s so cool!” cried Tetora. “If Taishou is gonna do it, then I’m gonna do it, too!”

“No. You stay back, Tetsu,” Kuro ordered bluntly. “One person is enough for this.”

“Umm…if you insist, Kuro-chin.” Nazuna hesitated before walking over to the door leading to Room 4, the last room, the left-center room on the map. He consulted his piece of paper quickly before inputting the passcode into the keypad. The door clicked open.

Everyone watched as Kuro pulled open the door steadily and entered. His figure disappeared for a moment and in that instant, Midori felt a sinking feeling clutch at his chest, as if the the tall third-year was never coming back—but pretty soon Kuro reappeared, perfectly unhurt, holding open the door with a less-than-pleasant expression.

“It’s safe to go in. But lemme warn you, it’s not a great room.”

Pretty soon upon entering they realized what that meant. The room was like a giant refrigerator; cold, white, with stark fluorescent lights shining down from the ceiling, and mostly empty save for a number of large black boxes laid out in one line. They were long and rectangular, made of sturdy wood, each about two meters long and one meter wide, and at first glance Midori couldn’t tell what they were.

Upon walking closer, though, Midori caught sight of the writing carved into the first wooden box, and his heart nearly stopped.

_CHIAKI MORISAWA._

Frantic, he ran to the next box and read the name engraved on top. _TORI HIMEMIYA._

The next few names only confirmed his growing realization and horror. _SUBARU AKEHOSHI. IZUMI SENA. KAORU HAKAZE…_

They were the names of everyone that had died before them. And considering that, there was only one thing that could be in those boxes.

The room was a morgue. These were coffins.

By now everyone had figured it out already, and they looked at each other in gaping silence. No one dared to move. No one dared even to touch the boxes. They all simply stood still, and on the inside, Midori was laughing bitterly at the fact that their Shinkai-senpai had in fact gotten it right on the money.

The silence was interrupted by a dull _thump_ on the ground.

“Aniki…Aniki?”

Yuuta was kneeling on the ground in front of the second-to-last coffin, most likely after his legs had gave way. The lid to the box, which had the name _HINATA AOI_ engraved into it, was sitting slightly ajar. Yuuta’s face was pale white, his entire body trembling, as if he was about to break down at any moment. Come to think of it, Midori had not even heard a word from him since he showed up at the meeting, alone, looking like he was shell-shocked.

“Yuuta-kun?” Shinobu cried, dashing over to Yuuta’s side and laying a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Are you alright, de gozaru?”

Midori turned away. He didn’t really want to look. He didn’t really want to see the dead body of his own classmate, reminding him that he might be next.

A voice sounded from the other side of the room. “If Hinata-kun is here, then…is Maa-kun also here?”

“Ritsu…” Rei reached out to his little brother, but he wasn’t listening. The younger vampire trudged over to the last coffin in the line, and hefted it open in one fluid motion. He stared inside, at the remains of the friend he loved so much.

“He died saving you, you know.”

Hokuto joined him at the foot of the coffin labelled _ISARA MAO_. Ritsu didn’t give any sign that he noticed his presence.

“Sometimes I want to blame someone for his death…but no matter how much I try, I can’t bring myself to hate you.”

“You should,” Ritsu said.

“What?”

“Hate me. If it’ll make you burn with fury for Maa-kun’s death, then that’s a good thing. The worst thing in this world is seeing someone die and then letting it push you into a pit of despair and hopelessness.”

“You mean…”

“I’ll be the one to avenge Maa-kun,” Ritsu said with determination. “Even if I eventually have to take my own life to do it…I will.”

Avenge…

Midori stared at the coffin he was standing in front of. _CHIAKI MORISAWA._ He had returned here without even realizing it.

He hadn’t ever once thought of avenging his leader. Perhaps he was too much of a coward to do it. But more than that, he thought that Chiaki would never approve if anyone wanted to avenge his death. _Two wrongs do not make a right!_ he would say while pumping a fist in the air. _We face evil by doing good, not by creating more evil! That is the way of a hero of justice!_

Midori sank down to his knees. He was at a loss now, his life emptier and far more meaningless ever since their loud Taichou had vanished without a trace. If he opened the coffin…if he were to see his leader just one more time…would he find the answer? Would the burning heart of Ryusei Red point him in the right direction…?

Part of him really, _really_ didn’t want to. But part of him felt he had no choice.

He reached out and, with trembling hands, slowly lifted the lid of the coffin before him.

That day, he spent a long time crying.

 

\--

 

Later, as he was trying to escape the questions of his concerned unitmates, Midori found his way to Room 8.

It was probably late at night, even though there was really no way to keep track of time down in the underground. He hadn’t come for any particular reason; he simply wanted to be alone for a while, lest he suddenly start crying again. The room was deserted, but for one figure working on something at a desk.

Midori was surprised to see who it was, but didn’t pass on the opportunity to call out to him. “Umm…Master Artist Fushimi?”

Yuzuru looked up quickly at the sound of his name being called, in slight embarrassment. “Takamine-sama? Apologies. I did not see you there.”

“Were you…drawing something?” Midori asked excitedly. “Can you show me, please? I haven’t seen any of your drawings in so long!”

“Ah…” Yuzuru looked slightly uneasy. “I suppose it’s alright.” He brought out the paper he was sketching on and handed it to Midori.

“Whoa~ It’s adorable!” Midori broke out into a smile when he saw the scribbled image. “It’s like a picture of a stuffed pineapple~!”

“It was meant to be a likeness of the Young Master,” Yuzuru said evenly. “After seeing him again today, I was overwhelmed by emotion. I felt I needed to let out some of that emotion through artwork. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m doing very well.”

“It’s a wonderful masterpiece!” Midori smiled, and then rubbed at his eyes.

“Oh? Takamine-sama, now that I remember, you were there watching over your unit leader today as well, right?”

“Yeah. I was,” Midori returned to his usual weary tone. “I…I guess I miss him as much as you miss your Young Master.”

“Is that so? I understand,” the ex-butler smiled reassuringly. “If you are sad, then I suggest trying to use artwork to calm yourself as well.”

“But…I can’t draw as well as Master Artist Fushimi.”

“Hmm. If artwork is not very much to your taste, then perhaps you can try writing down your thoughts,” Yuzuru suggested. He motioned toward the rest of the room. “There is plenty of paper and writing equipment here, after all. I think it may be helpful to you.” He smiled suddenly, the shadows on his face making him look strangely sinister. “Young Master used to keep a diary, you see, and I would read every word of it…it was the most adorable thing. It is a shame that he stopped after realizing I was reading it.”

“A diary, huh…” Midori stopped to think about it, the unnerving part of that comment flying right over his head. “I’d never thought about it before. But maybe I can try.”

“That’s excellent. I am glad to be of service to you, Takamine-sama.”

So Midori found himself a nice desk and comfortable chair in the room to sit on, and brought out a pen and a stack of paper. In the beginning no words came to him. But as he sat and thought of his leader, his encouraging words, his performances, his smile…he was suddenly overwhelmed with far too much he wanted to say. He bent down and began to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The setup of the underground is a key to the events in this case so I tried really hard to lay it out clearly. Please ask me if you have any questions or if anything is confusing! Now that we have more information feel free to guess at the deaths to come :D and as usual follow @dr_es_despair for update announcements and ramblings!


	26. 4.4 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Hinata’s life was his life, and his life was Hinata’s life. They were two in one, breaths and heartbeats going on at the same pace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey sorry for keeping you waiting so long, here's the newest chapter! I intended this to go all the way till the murder, but it ended up getting way too long so...we'll see the murder next chapter! But there's still plenty of exciting things happening this time, don't worry :D

_Today I saw our Taichou again._

_There is so much, so much I want to say to him but…I don’t think he’ll hear it even if I say it out loud right now. All I can do is write my thoughts down and hope he can feel it, somehow. I want to say thank you to him more than anything. He did everything for us and he hid away all the bad parts and scary parts inside him. He taught us everything about teamwork, but then went off and got killed by himself. It’s not fair. It’s really not fair._

_I wish I could have said everything sooner. I wish I could still talk to him. I wish he could still point us in the right direction, because he was never wrong. Taichou, we’re lost right now. We’re trapped underground and we can’t leave and we don’t know if we’ll die. And they’re saying there’s a traitor within us. I really don’t like that…just the thought of it is depressing. What would Taichou say if he knew that? I feel like he’d tell us not to worry about it…he’d still stubbornly believe that no one here means us any harm…in fact, I’m pretty sure that even if he knew there was a traitor for sure, he’d still treat them the same way. He wouldn’t leave them behind when he’s going on his mission to save everyone. Everyone’s worth saving to Taichou._

_I wonder if it’s right. Taichou got killed because he kept trusting, after all. But I don’t want to doubt anyone…it’s too depressing._

 

\--

 

Natsume may be a fortune-teller, but he didn’t need a crystal ball to see that the future was bleak. In fact, he was pretty sure that was the thought on everyone’s minds right now.

It was the morning following their move into the underground, and they had all gathered in the center room to have breakfast. Natsume sat with the other two members of Switch, chewing lightly on a piece of bread. Unlike many of the first-years, who were wolfing down their meals, he knew that food was scarce in this sort of environment and he’d do well to try and make it last as long as it could. 

All the students were sitting in small clusters, trading suspicious glances. Not a word was said until Eichi cleared his throat much too purposefully.

“So, how is everyone doing?”

“Horrible,” said Midori.

“Fine enough, until the moment _you_ opened your mouth,” said Shu.

“I’m doing well, thank you!” said Tsumugi.

Eichi chuckled. “Well, at least one person cares to maintain a happy atmosphere. Why are you all sitting so far away from me? It’s lonely, you know. You don’t happen to think I’m the traitor, do you?”

“I believe it is natural that we would suspect you,” said Souma, “considering what you’ve done.”

“No. Precisely _because_ of what I’ve done, it is impossible that I am the traitor,” Eichi countered. “If I were behind all this and needn’t worry about my safety, why would I be so keen on committing a murder? Not to mention, the mastermind seems to want to see the murders go on. He wouldn’t want to commit a murder early on and end the game.”

Natsume frowned. He didn’t want to admit it at all, but the Emperor was actually making sense.

“Well, you’re still a potential murderer,” Mika said. “We’re gonna stay away from ya no matter what.”

“I suppose I can’t help that,” Eichi shrugged. “Actually, I was going to ask everyone what our next steps should be, now that we’re certain there is a traitor.”

“Well, find the traitor, obviously!” said Koga.

“But how?” Eichi asked.

“I think there’s one thing we can do,” Rei put in. “ _Wait._ Remember that the traitor is here with us, and is in the same boat as all of us. The conditions here are not sustainable. Therefore, if we wait him out, he may eventually be forced to take some action that we can observe.”

“Good thinking as usual, Rei-nii-SAN,” Natsume smiled. “In the meanTIME, I think we should avoid moving aLONE. There’s safety in numBERS.”

“That’s no problem,” said Nazuna. “We’ll just stick with our unit members, then.”

“That’s what I was thinking as WELL.”

At that moment, all of a sudden, the earthquake happened again. A low rumbling reverberated around them, coursing throughout the ground and seeming to fill the entire room with tremors. It ended soon, though, without damaging anything, and the boys were startled but not quite shocked. They were gradually getting used to it, thought Natsume.

“So they’re still happening, even when we’ve all gathered here, huh,” Hokuto was the first to break the silence.

“I wonder what’s happening to the school outside,” said Arashi worriedly. “What if it collapses completely? Will we have nowhere to go back to then?”

“Shisho~ Sora wants to go out and see!” Sora tugged on Natsume’s sleeve. “If the buildings collapse, then won’t all our games be buried too~?”

Natsume frowned. “There’s no need to go SEE. It’s too dangerOUS. Stay inSIDE.”

“But Shisho~!”

Natsume looked hesitantly at his junior’s begging eyes. He was always weak to Sora’s wishes—he knew that himself. 

“I wanna go too!” Mitsuru jumped up, waving a hand in the air. “I don’t like being cramped up underground—I want to dash, dash out in the open!”

“You should come with Sora then!” The yellow-haired first-year smiled. “Come on, Shisho, can we?”

Sora tugged on him once again and Natsume relented.

“AlRIGHT. But I’m coming with the two of YOU. Stay with me, underSTOOD?”

“Yes~! HuHu~!” Sora brightened immediately and jumped up, Mitsuru right on his tail. Natsume followed them with a reluctant smile.

They made their way from the center room to Room 8, where they could access the elevator, and then took the elevator up to ground level. Upon reaching the outside again, both Sora and Mitsuru ran off into the wide open ground, as if they had been suffocating down there. Natsume guessed it was natural for boys their age.

The snow hadn’t stopped, although it didn’t seem to pile up on the ground any further—even though white flakes kept falling, the snow on the ground remained only a few inches thick. A little abnormal, perhaps, but certainly all planned by Kirakuma. Natsume smiled curiously as he looked to the school buildings. They seem to have suffered some damage, but hadn’t fully collapsed yet.

“Shisho~! Since the buildings didn’t collapse, can we run and grab the games from the Game Research Clubroom?” Sora ran back and asked, his eyes pleading.

“NO. Didn’t I say that it’s too dangerOUS? Besides, there’s no way for us to play games down THERE. We don’t have a TV.”

“But…we can at least bring the handheld games! And the board games!” Sora replied. “Sora thinks it’ll get boring down there without anything to play with~ And an earthquake just happened, so another one won’t happen very soon, right?”

In the end there was no way for Natsume to refuse his cute junior, so they took a quick and very risky trip to the Game Research Clubroom, carefully dodging debris and cracks in the ground as they sprinted all the way through the hallways of the main building. By the time they reentered the elevator, their arms were stuffed full of games and game consoles, enough to provide them with at least a few days of entertainment.

Natsume leaned against one wall of the elevator as he toyed with the PSVita in his hands. Personally, he didn’t really mind staying underground. Secret passages were his territory. The layer they were staying in was something new—it had never been there before they were taken to the island, so it wasn’t his, but it was interesting all the same. He could wait down here for a while.

Kirakuma might not like to wait, though.

They arrived in Room 8 once again, and the first thing they saw was Tsumugi, looking through the books on the shelves. The third-year looked up brightly upon noticing their entry.

“Hey, you’re back! How was the aboveground? You were gone for longer than I expected—I was worried.”

“Everything was FINE,” Natsume said vaguely, setting the consoles in his hand down on a table. “And, Senpai, why are you out here aLONE? Didn’t we just say that it’s dangerOUS?”

“Oh, I’m not alone,” Tsumugi replied with a smile. “I’m here with Yuuta-kun.”

Only then did Natsume notice the other boy sitting alone in a corner, a book spread out in his lap. Yuuta looked up swiftly when his name was mentioned, like a small animal that had received a fright. “Oh, um…yes.”

“Both of us didn’t have our unit members with us, see~” Tsumugi explained cheerily. “So we stuck to each other! Yuuta-kun said he wanted to look at some books, so I came to help him with that.”

“I SEE.” Natsume glanced at the book in Yuuta’s hands; it seemed to be about the foundations of engineering principles of some sort. Not the type of book he expected the younger Aoi twin to read. “Well then, Senpai, can you help us carry these games over to the LOUNGE? I’m afraid we’ve brought over far too maNY.”

“Of course! I’d do anything I could to help!”

“Yuu-chan, you should come too!” Sora handed some of his board games to Tsumugi and then ran over to Yuuta, stretching out a hand. “Sora doesn’t want to leave you all alone in here~!”

“Oh, umm…it’s okay. I’m good just staying here…” Yuuta tried to decline, but Sora grabbed him by one hand. Mitsuru came over and grabbed his other hand.

“HuHu~ Don’t look so sad, Yuu-chan! Come and play games with us, okay?”

“I wanna play with Yuu-chan, too, yanno!”

“Umm—hold on?” Yuuta said in surprise as the two first-years jerked him out of his seat and pulled him in the direction of the lounge. His book fell to the ground. “Wait—I’m serious—I want to stay here.”

“Nii-chan said it’s dangerous to stay by yourself! Heh-heh, I remember very well!” Mitsuru declared. “Yuu-chan is coming with us!”

“I said _leave me alone!”_

Yuuta yanked himself away from a very shocked Sora and Mitsuru, backing up against the support pole in the center of the room. He was breathing hard, flattening himself against the concrete like he was afraid of something. “Please. I don’t want to play right now. Just leave me alone, okay?”

Sora backed away a little, a confused look on his face. “Umm…okay, if Yuu-chan really doesn’t want to!”

Yuuta remained silent.

“SoRA.” Natsume walked over and placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder. “Right now, Yuuta-kun probably needs some time to himSELF. We’ll come back and check on him later, oKAY?”

“O-Okay…” Sora turned to follow his senpai, casting a worried glance behind him. Yuuta still hadn’t moved at all.

They brought all the games to the lounge, where they were well received with relieved smiles—evidently, they weren’t the only ones who thought it impossible to pass the time without some entertainment. They spread the games out on the center table, next to Kirakuma’s tile game. 

“SoRA? Do you want to play one of THESE…?” Natsume called out to his junior, but realized with a start that Sora wasn’t by his side anymore. Certainly abnormal, for him to pass up an opportunity at gaming. Natsume looked around the room and saw the small first-year back at the door leading to Room 8, pushing it open gingerly.

“Sora…”

Natsume rose and walked in the same direction. He could more or less guess what the youngest member of Switch was up to. Switch was wearing a concerned expression as he peeked into Room 8 one more time, glancing left and right in search of something—someone. Natsume joined him at the door silently and looked inside, but it seemed that Yuuta wasn’t there anymore.

 

\--

 

_I’m writing this as Shinobu-kun and Tetora-kun play a heated game of checkers next to me…They asked me to play with them, but I didn’t feel too much like it so I stopped after a few rounds. I think I prefer writing. Somehow when I write, it’s as if I’m talking to Taichou, even though he can’t possibly hear me._

_At least things are looking a little better now that we have something to pass the time with. If we all just sat around with nothing to do, I think we’ll go crazy sooner or later…I mean, I’m okay with it, I might get depressed, but that’s normal. But some other guys, like Tenma-kun for example, probably won’t be able to stand it. He’s the type of guy that always has to run around, so being cramped up down here is probably really hard. He woke up everyone in Room 3 really early today by running around and around the space and yelling “Dash, Dash!”…Honestly, I don’t understand how people like him get that kind of energy, but I kind of feel bad for him._

_I was gonna eat one piece of bread for breakfast today, but Kanata-senpai came around and told us not to eat too much, in case we have to make food supplies last…so I just ate half a piece instead. Now I’m hungry. It’s so depressing…_

_I can’t think of anything else I can say, so maybe I should stop writing and go play something. All the games look taken, though. I’m not really surprised. Someone probably even played with Kirakuma’s tile game, because the tiles got put back into the full picture sometime when I wasn’t looking. But I’m not desperate enough to go play with that creepy thing. I think I’ll just sit here and daydream about what I’ll do when I get home instead._

_…If I ever get home._

 

\--

 

Simultaneously, in Room 6.

The four members of Ra*bits had fallen into a dead silence the moment they walked through the doors.

_So this is the “special room”,_ Nazuna thought, blinking a few times. _If all of this is real, then it really is “special”…_

There was nothing in the room except for the support pole, the screen taking up the entirety of one wall, and a control panel situated in front of it, flashing with an array of buttons. What was especially curious was the plethora of text and images displayed on the screen. In one word, it was _data_. 

Under one module, the physical state of the island was listed in tremendous detail, including the fact that it was still snowing, the temperature, wind speeds, air pressure and far more. Listed under another section were the states of every single room in the school buildings, including their dorm rooms, labeled with tags such as “EMPTY”, “SAFE”, “DAMAGED”, and “DANGER—HIGH RISK”. Next to it was a module that provided a listing of every Unit Practice Room that had been opened, each of their contents, and whether the objects were in the room or not. Yet another list, titled “STATUSES”, displayed the name and photo of every student that had been brought here, with either “ALIVE” or “DEAD” next to them. It seemed every entry in the list could be expanded to show the specific conditions of death.In a corner of the screen, a digital time display ticked away. It currently read _14:21:37:50:498_ , with the last digits changing at a lightning speed. Nazuna realized with a start that the timer was counting _down_.

“Whoa…” Hajime breathed. “There’s so much information.”

“Is this like a control room for the mastermind?” Tomoya frowned.

“…I’m not sure. I never expected something like this…”

Nazuna walked closer to the control panel and tried clicking on some of the modules on the screen. He opened a folder labeled “SPACES”. A more precise, more detailed version of their map of the underground appeared, with blue dots—most likely representing people—clustered in certain parts of the map. It was actively updating every moment, some of the blue dots shifting around or leaving and going to other rooms. Most of the dots were gathered in the center room; a few were scattered elsewhere. Four dots appeared in Room 6, representing themselves.

“This is crazy,” Nazuna muttered. “We can almost monitor the entire underground from this room.”

Mitsuru leaned in to the screen in awe. “Hey, Nii-chan? Why does this room on the map look different?”

Nazuna looked again. Mitsuru was right, he realized—the box representing Room 6 had a light yellow tint to it, unlike all the other boxes. He shrugged. “I don’t know…maybe because this really is the ‘special room’?”

“Well, then, it’s ‘special’ all right,” Mitsuru declared.

“We were right to keep it for ourselves,” Tomoya pointed out. “This room has way too much information that might be dangerous if it got into the wrong hands. It’s almost like…a cheat sheet. The mastermind knows all of this stuff about us.”

“They probably know all this and more,” said Nazuna. “After all, every single one of our actions is being monitored by them somewhere, but we can’t see their footage. They’re only letting us access part of their database…probably everything that’s not too threatening to themselves.”

The four boys looked at each other in an uncomfortable silence. Even now, Nazuna couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. Something sinister, something unknown to them, was present in the room. This room was meant to be a safe haven for them only, but all of a sudden it no longer felt that way.

“Hold on, Nii-chan,” Hajime suddenly said, pulling him out of his daze. “I think there’s one other important feature to this room…”

The timid first-year was pointing to another button on the control panel, labeled “BROADCAST”, and a small microphone situated next to it. On its side was a speaker, a nine-digit keypad and another button labeled “LISTEN”.

Nazuna’s face lit up as he walked towards it. “A broadcasting system…It’s just like what we’ve been trying to do earlier in the Broadcasting Club.” He fiddled with the microphone, looking at it closely. “We can probably send out messages to all the students this way. As for the buttons on the side, I wonder if it lets us listen to what’s happening in each of the rooms.”

He keyed in “5” and then pressed “LISTEN”. Sounds of buttons clicking and whoops of laughter coming from the center room started pouring in; they heard Sora’s yell of excitement as he made a high score on his video game, the shuffling of a deck of cards, and Eichi’s calm “Checkmate” followed by Tsukasa’s groan of defeat, loud and clear.

“Whoa—I can hear everyone!” Mitsuru jumped up and down. “This is really cool!”

“It’s a little scary,” Hajime commented. “We can listen in on them, but they don’t know we’re listening…it’s like the time Kirakuma-san listened in on our conversation. There must be some sort of listening device hidden away.”

“What about the broadcast function?” Tomoya said. “Should we try that out too?”

“No,” Nazuna said, turning off the speaker. “If we send out a message now, everyone else is going to have an idea about what’s in this room. The more other people know about what’s in here, the less of an advantage we have. So let’s just use this for emergencies, okay? In fact, let’s make it a _rule_ to use this room during emergencies.”

He motioned for his unitmates to huddle in a circle, and then spoke with both hands on Hajime and Tomoya’s shoulders. “Right now, this room is our only advantage. So whenever you feel like there’s _anything_ dangerous, or strange, or threatening, come to this room, okay? If the rest of us are in other rooms, don’t go looking. Come straight here and send a broadcast. Once we’re here, we can use the listening function to tell what’s going on outside. We have to protect our own safety over _everything._ Got that?“

“Roger, Nii-chan!” Hajime nodded.

“Got it, yanno~” Mitsuru grinned.

“Good plan as always,” Tomoya said.

“Heh-heh! You can count on me for that!” Nazuna laughed and patted Tomoya’s head. “Just make sure to be careful and protect yourselves. Nii-chan will be counting on you."

"Especially you, Mitsuru," Tomoya added, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Don't be bad and run off again. I don't want to have to run and catch you."

"That's mean, yanno~!" Mitsuru pouted. "I'm not bad! I'll be a good boy and follow the directions properly~!"

"As long as you do that, then it's fine." Nazuna gave his junior a smile. "We'll pull through this. Ra*bits will survive this game, with all four of us. Promise me that none of you are going to die, okay?"

"We promise!" All three first-years said in unison.

"But Nii-chan," Hajime went on, "We want you to promise us too. Promise that you won't die. Because Nii-chan is important to all three of us!"

Nazuna smiled, feeling something warm bloom in his heart again despite everything. He found Hajime's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I promise, Hajime-chin."

On the screen, lights blinked and changed. The timer continued to tick away.

 

\--

 

_Things have been oddly peaceful for a while. Even though we're trapped down here, people have been talking, reading, and playing games like we're back in Yumenosaki. Wait, we are in Yumenosaki. Or are we? I honestly don't even know anymore._

_The earthquakes have still been happening, so I don't think we can go back out anytime soon. They happen pretty regularly, once in the morning and once in the afternoon usually, so there are times when it's safe to go out. Even though Kirakuma said they’ll be getting worse, I don’t think they’ve been hitting any harder than the first day, and the buildings are still standing. Shinobu-kun and Tetora-kun dragged me outside this morning to see if it was still snowing. It was, which was a bummer. I don't know how much longer we have to stay down here._

_It hasn't been as depressing as I thought it would be, though. I guess a lot of it is because of the two of them. Whenever I start getting too down in the dumps, they somehow know how to cheer me up...even when it's silly stuff like pretending to be ninjas with Shinobu-kun by climbing the walls (I can't) or throwing his shurikens (I shouldn't). Or Tetora-kun dragging me to do muscle training at 8 in the morning, even though I really didn't want to. But it was okay. It reminded me of Taichou dragging me to basketball practice when we were back at home...It's a little comforting, in a way._

_I guess things can be worse. I guess as long as the two of them are still here, I’ll pull through somehow._

 

\--

 

Yuuta stood alone in the MaM Practice Room—or what was left of it.

There wasn’t much left. Not after the explosion. Most of the objects in the room were ruined, reduced to a charred black, broken beyond repair. The room that was once filled with colorful festivities was no longer recognizable; in its place was a bleak, dreary wasteland, still reeking of death, as Yuuta knew all too well. 

Except for the _mikoshi_. Of course, the _mikoshi_ was still standing.

It was ironic—the very item that had caused his brother’s death was there, perfectly whole and without a scratch, looking down upon him as if mocking him. In fact, most of the alterations that Hinata had done to it were also preserved. His brother seemed to have stuffed them—pieces of the mast and the sail, among some other supplies—into the _mikoshi_ at the last minute to keep them safe. But the explosion had happened before he could climb inside himself. 

The explosion had been due to the spherical bombs sitting on one counter—the ones that they had tested on the _mikoshi_ a while ago. The colored smoke at the time made it quite obvious. Yuuta guessed that the shaking of the earthquake had caused some of them to roll and drop onto the ground, cracking open their shells, which made everything go _kaboom_. There was no way to verify that for sure though. Hinata had been there when it happened, of course, but Hinata wouldn’t ever speak again.

Yuuta could still remember the pang of horror he felt when he rushed into the room in a panic and saw Hinata there. His brain was telling him it was Hinata, but at the same time it wasn’t; it was a broken and disfigured imitation of him, like a porcelain doll that had been carelessly dropped on the ground by its owner. Hinata had enough sense to attempt to duck behind the _mikoshi_ as the explosion happened; he wasn’t fast enough, though, so his lower body was damaged horribly by the blast and flying shrapnel. When Yuuta saw him he was sprawled on the ground covered in blood, barely conscious. He had nearly fainted at the mere sight of it.

After the initial shock he had rushed to his brother’s side frantically, choking through the smoke but barely noticing it.

_“Aniki! Aniki, are you okay?”_

Hinata let out a weak moan. Yuuta wasn’t sure if it was a response or merely a cry of pain.

“Aniki. Please, hang in there. Don’t die. _Don’t die!_ I’ll get you to safety…I’ll take care of your injuries…Please, Aniki…”

The moment he took hold of his brother’s hand, the room shook again, causing him to slip and almost crash on top of Hinata. He let out a cry of fear, more for Hinata than for himself—how could he do anything to help Hinata in this state? He was barely holding on to his own life in this situation—but if he didn’t do something, Hinata would—Hinata would—

“Yuuta-kun.”

A bruised, cut hand weakly grabbed onto his sleeve.

Yuuta turned, vision blurred by tears that might have been due to the smoke or his own desperation. His brother was looking up at him, tilting his head up as far as he could in his current state, his entire body trembling.

“I-I’m sorry…I made Yuuta-kun mad again, didn’t I?”

“Aniki!” Yuuta dropped down to his knees and clasped Hinata’s hand tightly. He couldn’t bear to look at Hinata’s face—those same grass-green eyes, the same parted hair, only slightly singed, the same face, as if it was himself looking back at him with a glazed expression of pain and fear, his mirror image, his reflection…For a moment Hinata’s face was his face, and Hinata’s pain was his pain, and every word that Hinata said resonated within his own soul.

“No, Aniki, what are you saying? I’m not mad…I would never be mad…Please, just hang in there, okay? We’ll get through this…and then nothing bad will ever happen again…”

He was rambling, trying to grasp at any words that might still connect his brother with him, fearing that a mere second of silence would sever the thin thread Hinata was clinging on for life.

“Aniki…I want you to live a long life and be happy…We’re still going to go back home and perform and bring smiles to everyone’s faces, right? So please…don’t leave me…don’t die…”

“Yuuta-kun. That’s my line.”

“Huh…?”

Hinata managed a small smile toward his little brother. “There’s no use asking me not to die now…Yuuta-kun, _you_ have to keep living. okay? You have to survive and get out of here and go back and perform for everyone. In my place. No… _with me_. Because we’re 2wink, two in one, right? As long as you’re there, I’ll be there too…As long as Yuuta-kun lives a long and happy life, it’ll be like I did the same…”

His voice was fading as he spoke, getting weaker and raspier, and Yuuta could do nothing but try to hold onto him. It was like trying to hold on to an ice cube before it melted away.

“It’s okay, Aniki. We’ll get out of this together. The two of us. Together…”

“Yeah! Yuuta-kun and I would alllllways be together…”

The earthquakes had stopped at this point, but Yuuta knew deep down that there was nothing more he could do to save his Aniki now. All he could do was stay at his side, reassuring him over and over, telling him he wasn’t alone, swearing they’d survive.

—Aniki. We _will_ survive.

—At that moment, clasping Hinata’s hand, he had sworn that he would get out of this killing game alive, not for himself, but for Hinata.

—For Hinata’s life was his life, and his life was Hinata’s life. They were two in one, breaths and heartbeats going on at the same pace.

Now, returning to the room where the tragedy had occurred, he looked over the escape project. Thanks to Hinata’s efforts of preserving all the parts they would need, there was still hope for the plan to go on. Over the past few days, Yuuta had read quite a bit about how to set the plan in motion, just as he figured his older brother did. The concepts were new to him, but he was a fast learner. And he had found something else: the toolbox that Hinata had evidently been working with, conveniently left inside the _mikoshi_ along with everything else. 

He would have to do some fine-tuning to ensure the safety of the escape ship. The wheels, as well, had been damaged in the explosion, so he would have to find replacements. He frowned, wondering where in Yumenosaki he might find something like that.

He would figure it out, he thought. He would break down all the difficulties standing in his way and escape and survive. That’s what he told himself that afternoon, as he helplessly watched his brother’s life ebb away before him.

He had watched him, spoken to him, reminded him that he wasn’t alone over and over again. Hinata hated loneliness. So Yuuta stayed all the way till the end. There came a point where even the faint responses had faded and his body fell motionless and still. But even though Yuuta was quite sure by then, he had stubbornly remained for another ten minutes longer, just in case.

 

\--

 

_I finished my last piece of bread today._

_I’m not the first one. I’m pretty sure Tetora-kun already finished all the food he brought yesterday, so Shinobu-kun has been sharing with him, but he’s running out too. I think most people here are also down to their last portions. It depresses me to think about what we’ll do after we run out of food. So…I’m just not going to think about it._

_Staying down here with nothing much to do gets really hard after a while. Even games get boring after you’ve played the same ones ten times. Even the loud ones, like Tetora-kun and Tenma-kun, are quiet now. And a lot of the cheerful people like Hinata-kun and Akehoshi-senpai are already gone, so we don’t even have anyone to cheer us all up…_

_…Someone’s staring at me from across the room. I think his name is Ritsu-senpai from Knights? Why is he staring at me? Actually, he’s been creeping me out these past few days…he never really talks, he just sits and looks at everyone else, and sometimes goes into Room 8 to look at reference books. He’s the only one here that’s not sticking to a group. Actually…Yuuta-kun doesn’t stick to a group either, but that’s because…he doesn’t really have one, I guess. I haven’t seen him in a while. I hope he’s doing okay…_

_They’re calling a meeting now to talk about the food situation. I should probably go, and hope we can find some way not to starve ourselves._

 

\--

 

“We have to go in the buildings,” said Tetora.

Shinobu looked to him in slight, unexpected surprise. The room was quiet, most people averting their eyes or fidgeting nervously, none of them daring to respond. Tetora held his gaze steadily, showing no sign of backing down, and Shinobu felt a small rush of admiration for his teammate. Sure, it was the sentence that nobody wanted to hear. But it was the truth, and _someone_ had to come out and say it.

“We don’t _have_ to, right? Isn’t there some other way?” Arashi asked tentatively.

“No. Our food supplies are definitely limited. Sooner or later we’re going to run out, and it doesn’t look like Kirakuma will be stopping the earthquakes anytime soon. There are no places to get food on this island except for the cafeteria and the school store.”

“And the ‘ocean’ doesn’t have any ‘fish’ in it~” Kanata added. “So we won’t be able to eat the ‘fish’, either. That is a ‘shame’~”

“Still, going back into the buildings is too risky,” Keito countered. “Kirakuma may be watching us and attack with an earthquake the moment we step inside.”

“The earthquakes come at fixed times, though, correct?” asked Tsukasa. “If we choose a time between the earthquake in the morning and afternoon, maybe it’ll be safe.”

“No, Kirakuma’s probably trying to trick us into thinking the times are fixed,” Tomoya argued. “He’s waiting for us to walk into the trap and then he’ll spring it, like a hunter catching a rabbit.”

“There’s no way to know that for sure though!”

“Do you want to risk your life _that_ badly?”

The air quieted, the question lingering between them like the crackle of a flame, along with their tense looks toward one another. Shinobu felt a chill go down his spine. Certainly, if they went back into the school for food, they might die. Death was scary. Having closely brushed with it once already, Shinobu knew better than anyone. 

He thought that as a ninja, as a proud member of Ryuseitai, he shouldn’t be scared—that was against the ways of a hero. Heroes weren’t supposed to be cowardly. But he’d think back to the split second of the world going black on him and the snap of the thread of consciousness, and he’d never want to go back there again.

And then Tetora slammed both hands on the table. “Would you all rather risk your lives, or starve to death here without even putting up a fight?!”

The first-year of Ryuseitai had his sleeves rolled up and his fists clenched as he stared down the entire room with the fierce gaze of a wild animal. “Let’s face it, okay? We can’t just keep waiting. People need food to survive. I might not be too bright, but I know that at least! Sure, going into the building is dangerous, but isn’t it better than sitting back and waiting to starve? If there’s any sort of chance, then we should fight for it! That’s what a real man would do!”

He paused, looked over the pale faces of everyone who was listening, and then turned toward Kuro nervously. “…Am I right, Taishou?”

“Aye. You’re right, Tetsu,” Kuro gave a slight nod. “…But while a real man should be courageous, he should not be reckless. We should not rush in without a plan,”

“Give up already. This is all meaningless,” Ritsu said, rolling over in his couch lazily. “If we go in the buildings, we’ll die. If we stay here, we’ll also die.”

“If we go in, we have a _chance!”_

“No, you don’t.” Ritsu turned and looked Tetora dead in the eyes. “Don’t believe me? Go on ahead. But don’t take me. You might not mind dying; I do.”

“…Alright,” said Tetora. “How about this then? Not everyone needs to go back in the building. We can have just a few people gather enough food for all of us. Only the ones brave enough and strong enough should go.”

“You’d only be sacrificing feWER, but sacrificing nonetheLESS,” said Natsume. “I can tell you now that your future will not be pretty if you decide to GO.”

“I don’t care. Besides, I don’t believe that the future is set in stone. We create our own future by fighting for it! We’re idols, we ought to know that!”

Kuro nodded. “Well said, Tetsu. I support this strategy of yours.”

“Alright! That’s what we’ll do then!” Tetora declared. “And I’m gonna be a man who lives up to his word, so I’ll be one of the volunteers to gather food! Is anyone with me?”

Silence throughout the entire room. Several students traded glances, but none spoke up. Shinobu shrunk back behind Tetora’s figure awkwardly, hoping no one would see him. He admired Tetora. He really did. But…he was so scared.

“I won’t let Tetsu go alone, of course,” Kuro said. “My junior is being bold and brave, so it won’t do for me not to accompany him. Normally, I’d tell him to step down and stay safe. But Tetsu isn’t a child anymore.” He looked over, meeting Tetora’s eyes, and smiled approvingly. “He’s grown, physically and mentally. A bona fide tiger now. No use holding a tiger like that back.”

“Ossu! Thank you, Taishou!” Tetora got up swiftly and gave his senpai a ninety-degree bow. “We’re in this together then!”

“Wait a moment,” Souma interrupted them. “Kiryu-dono, apologies for my intrusion. But as a kouhai and loyal servant of yours, I cannot allow you to embark on this mission. You are much too important to be risking your life on an expedition like this. Instead, please allow myself, this Kanzaki Souma, to go in your place!”

“Kanzaki…” Kuro looked to his junior, dipping his head down in earnest pleading, in surprise. “You don’t need to worry about me all that much, you know.”

“No. It is the duty of the servant to fight on behalf of his master. I will protect both Kiryu-dono and Hasumi-dono with all my might, until I am physically unable to. Besides, Kiryu-dono, you are still needed here, because you are strong enough to protect all the other students in times of crisis. I will not endanger someone of such importance.”

“But…”

“Kiryu. Let Kanzaki do as he pleases; there’s no stopping him in that state.” Keito pushed up his glasses. “Our juniors have all matured well; they are rushing to the forefront of the battlegrounds. We must learn to let go somehow.”

“Even if the battle is dangerous?”

“Precisely because it is dangerous, there is nothing we can do that will change his mind.”

“…’Kay then,” Kuro sighed, acquiescing. “Kanzaki, I’ll entrust the work to you. Tetsu, you’re fine with going with Kanzaki?”

“No problem, Taishou! I’ll take up the responsibility that we all make it through safe and sound!” Tetora pumped a fist in the air. “Although, we could probably use two more people.”

“If Kanzaki is going, I’ll go as well,” Adonis volunteered, wearing the same stoic expression. “The retrieval of food is important; I’ll bring back lots of meat for everyone to share.”

“Excellent, Adonis-dono!” Souma smiled. “I am honored to be working with you. Now, we need one more person.”

“Hmm…” Tetora considered. “Someone small and good at running around is probably best…” His gaze swept around the room slowly before it finally landed behind him. “Shinobu-kun, would you like to come?”

There it was. The moment he was dreading. Cold sweat dripped down Shinobu’s back as he fumbled for words. “Huh? M-M-Me, de gozaru?”

“Yeah, you. What do you think?”

Shinobu panicked. “U-Umm…I’m, ah, that is…”

The entire room was staring at him, and he felt the strongest urge to melt into a corner of the room and disappear. _Be a hero! Be a hero!_ echoed in his mind. But he felt far from a hero right now. Far from amazing people like Tetora and Souma…

“I’ll do it,” said Midori.

“Huh?!” Heads swiveled to look at the tall, gloomy first-year, who looked about as surprised as everyone else at what he had just said. 

“Uh…That is…I’ll go if Shinobu-kun doesn’t want to. If we’re gonna die anyway, I’d prefer it to be quick…” Midori mumbled nervously, and then looked down at his feet.

_And I felt like it’s something Taichou would do_ was what slipped out of his mouth then in barely a whisper, but Shinobu was close enough to catch it.

”Ossu! That’s great! Welcome to the team, Midori-kun!” Tetora clapped Midori on the shoulder, giving the other boy a jolt. “Then it’s decided! The four of us will run into the school building tomorrow and bring back as much food as we can!”

“Stay safe, all of you,” said Nazuna with a worried look.

They discussed for a short while longer and a plan was briskly made. They would raid the school store, not the cafeteria, because it contained more foods that were pre-packaged and preservable. Each would stuff four bags with as much food as they possibly could, and run back out. They’d go about an hour after the first earthquake in the morning, before the next earthquake was scheduled to occur, and after the dangers related to the first earthquake had passed. By the time all this was sorted out it was late into the night, and all the students retired to their rooms.

Sleep did not come well to Shinobu that night. He laid awake wondering if they had made a gravely poor decision. He wondered if the four brave volunteers would all meet a grisly end like his Isara-senpai had. He wondered if it should have been him instead of Midori, and then he wondered if he was simply a coward. Those thoughts carried over all the way to the next morning, where he wanted for numerous times to jump up and tell them not to go, but swallowed it back always, until it was too late to say so anymore and the four were preparing to leave on their quest.

“Ossu!” Tetora called out. “The mission will begin! Don’t worry, we’ll be back in no time with food! Is everyone ready?”

“Of course!” Souma stood at attention.

“I’ll bring you all lots of meat.” Adonis nodded seriously.

Midori just sighed, and then looked up and smiled a little. “…Let’s do it, then.”

It was a calming smile—so soothing that Shinobu managed to forget about his worries for a moment. Midori always seemed to have that kind of effect. “Good luck, de gozaru!” he yelled as the four disappeared into the elevator.

“Good luck, inDEED…” a voice murmured next to him.

There was Natsume, fingering his pentagram in amusement. “I believe they’ll need IT. The future in store for them seems GRIM, after ALL…”

“Nacchan,” Kanata scolded from next to him, “Do not say things like that. You’ll cause everyone else to ‘worry’.”

“I apoloGIZE,” Natsume smiled. “Perhaps I have overspoken aGAIN.”

But he hadn’t. Because precisely ten minutes later, as all of them were still gathered in Room 8 waiting for the heroes’ return, the ground began to rumble.

This earthquake was different. This earthquake was not a mere tremor like the ones they had been experiencing for days on end. This time, the floor beneath them jerked and wobbled with such ferocity that Shinobu lost his balance and fell flat on the ground. He let out a shocked cry and tumbled under a table for cover, as most of the other students were also doing; around them, the entire room convulsed as if meaning to spit them all out as violently as possible. Everything fell; everything cracked. Shinobu looked up and prayed that the support pole would do its job of holding up the ceiling—and this was the _underground_.

“Everyone stay calm!” he heard a voice yell. The Vice President, probably, although the voice had so much raw terror in it that he couldn’t tell if it really was him. “Take cover beneath the tables! Our safest option is to stay here!”

“No…” Shinobu gasped through tears of panic. “ _No!_ What about everyone that’s still up there? What’s happening to them? We have to save them, de gozaru—“

_“We can’t do anything!”_ He felt Makoto’s hands grasp him from behind. “We have to stay put here—or else we’ll be in danger too!“

“It’s really happening…” Koga was saying. “The bear’s really fuckin’ with us and killing us as soon as we go inside! Goddamnit—Adonis…!”

“They will have to fend for themselves now,” Rei’s voice remained calm through it all. “All is not yet lost.”

Shinobu struggled against Makoto’s grip. “No! Let me go, de gozaru! I have to go to my friends—I have to help them—They’ll die this way!”

He was floundering desperately like a five-year-old, but Makoto gripped him as hard as he could, pinning him to the ground. It seemed to take an eternity until the tremors died down and everything stabilized once more. The underground layer held; the ceiling did not come caving in on them, but Shinobu was too preoccupied to be relieved. 

The moment Makoto let go of him, he shot out from under the table, stumbling in his steps on a trajectory for the vague direction of the elevator.

“Wait! Shinobun, where are you going?” Nazuna called out, but he wasn’t listening.

_please be alive please be alive please be alive_

He was sorry, he thought. It was foolish, sending them all to their deaths like this. Why didn’t they realize it sooner? Why didn’t he step in and stop them even as he knew very well himself what was going to happen?

The moment the bright light from the sun hit his eyes he knew it was all over.

Everything had collapsed. The structures that had formed their hallways and classrooms were now nothing but huge piles of rubble. The snow was still blowing. For a moment it was as if the whole of Yumenosaki itself had ceased to exist, crumbling away with the brick and concrete, becoming buried within the snow.

Nothing existed anymore—their hopes, their dreams, their memories, the things that had sustained their lives.

Shinobu sprinted around the wreckage all the way to where he remembered the school store was. He had given up hope already, really. He was only doing so out of a numb sense that none of this was real. But as he turned the corner he saw.

Traipsing toward him in the snow, hunched over, cradling one bag to his chest, a single figure. The sunlight fell on his brown hair and turned it golden, meshing and blending with the red that stained one side of his face.

Midori wiped a tear away and ran towards him.

 

\--

 

_It was horrible._

_They could have gotten out, they really could’ve, but they didn’t._

_The funny thing is the whole time, I thought I was gonna die for sure. Tetora-kun was the one who kept cheering us up and saying everything will be fine, that we won’t die. We were in the school store and he was directing all of us, telling us what foods to pick up, doing it quickly and efficiently. He really reminded me of Taichou then. He sounded so much like he knew what he was doing, that I started to believe we were gonna be okay too._

_We were just halfway through packing the food when the earthquake happened. I was waiting for it, but I was still surprised. Because it was stronger than anything that ever happened before. Right when it hit I knew we were gonna die. It’s just one of those things that you know, yeah? The ground was shaking so much we couldn’t stand. We all knew the building was gonna crash._

_There wasn’t any hope because the school store was in the middle of the building and we had to run a long way to get to any door. And we were panicking when Tetora-kun pointed to the window. The window was broken from the earthquakes before, and we were on the first floor, so we could get out from there. We were all about to, but then all of a sudden Kanzaki-senpai turned around and started grabbing more food and tossing them out the window first. We asked what he was doing, and he said he wanted to get as much food out there for the rest of us as possible before the whole building came crashing down…he said don’t worry about him, just go, but then Otogari-senpai started doing it too. He said something about not leaving Kanzaki-senpai by himself…I don’t even remember anymore. I was too scared. I was frozen solid. And then Tetora-kun started yelling at me to go because I was standing closest to the window._

_I didn’t know what to do…I told Tetora-kun to go first but the building was really starting to come down at that point, part of the ceiling caved in, and he said just go and he’ll be right after me…so I climbed out the window and ran as far as I could. But he didn’t come after me. I’m pretty sure he was lying. He stayed in there with the other two and they kept throwing all the food out, everything they had in the store, they didn’t stop all the way until the building completely collapsed and everything just disappeared…I was still waiting for them until the end, I thought they might still escape, but none of them did._

_The last thing I remember when I was climbing out the window is Kanzaki-senpai saying something about being honored to sacrifice himself, and that he hoped everyone else could live longer, and it’s scary because I don’t understand it. I think Tetora-kun understood. He was facing the window all the way until then but after that he turned around. And I couldn’t see his face after that. All I could see was the food being thrown out and gathered on the ground in the snow in a big pile. The pile was the only thing that was left in the end. I brought everyone out there to see it and we took it all back to the underground. And it was so much food. Enough to last us another week, at least._

_After I came back Shinobu-kun hugged me and said he was glad I survived. But I don’t know anymore. I don’t know why I’m the only one that came back alive. And even if we can live for longer now, there’ll come another day when the food finally runs out and then there’ll be nowhere to get more. Everything’s gone. Nothing can be saved._

_What can a hero possibly do now? Taichou, if you’re listening…won’t you tell me?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;_; as usual I'm so sorry
> 
> but what is danganronpa without death and angst???
> 
> anyway rip our three brave heroes. and we'll wrap up the everyday portion next time so see you then! as usual follow @dr_es_despair for update announcements and ramblings!


	27. 4.5 (Ab)normal Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He closed his eyes, envisioning the chessboard expanding endlessly in front of him, wondering how he should move his pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I know it's been a while but I finally managed to pick back up my motivation for writing and finish the newest chapter!! :D This case is every bit as intense as I planned it to be so I hope you enjoy it!!!

Koga counted the packages of dry meat they had.

Twenty-seven packs of beef jerky, and on top of that, thirty-two packs of turkey sticks. They had probably raided all the supply that was left in the school store. Even that was only a small part of the stockpile of food they had gotten, however; when added to the abundance of breads, cookies, cakes, pre-prepared sandwiches, and dried fruits and vegetables thrown in the mix, there was certainly enough food to last them a long while. But this was all they had. Once they ran out, there was nowhere else they could turn.

“Damn it!” Koga flung the pack of beef jerky in his hands to the ground.

“Hm? Doggie, why so agitated?” he heard Rei remark from next to him. Koga grunted without bothering to answer. If the vampire bastard really didn’t know what he was upset about, he wouldn’t be wearing that despondent expression on his face.

“Cheer up, Doggie. There is at least some hope left. We have the food, don’t we?”

“The food? And what’s the food good for?” Koga snapped back. “Adonis and the others sacrificed their lives on that mission—and what do we get in return? A pile of food that’s gonna last us a week at best!”

“It was foolish of them,” Rei acknowledged. “But they left us an opportunity. If we do not have food—if we do not have sustenance—we will be doomed. For that they did something incredibly honorable.”

“But we’ll be doomed _anyway!_ Everything’s destroyed, isn’t it?!”

“Perhaps, but—“

“No, it isn’t fair! Why did they have to die? Why couldn’t they just fucking see the situation and save themselves?! Why did they go on such a stupid mission in the first place? That Nagumo bastard was way too reckless…and see where it got him. They should’ve known better. All this for a bit of food—no amount of food is worth three lives, goddamn it!” He slammed a fist into the pile of food again, flattening a piece of bread.

“Doggie.”

“Shut up!”

“Doggie.”

“…What?” Koga glanced toward Rei resentfully at last.

“Do not disrespect the choice that your friends have made.”

“Huh?” Koga faltered. Rei was staring him down with a gaze as serious as the day he rallied them to participate in Trickstar’s revolution against _fine_.

“Whatever they decided to do, they did so from the best of intentions,” said Rei. “I imagine the three that we lost had only one objective in mind when they stayed behind—for us to survive for as long as we can. Do not blame them for thinking this way.”

“……” Koga fell silent, dipping his head to stare blankly at the beef jerky on the ground.

He was so entranced with the food that he didn’t notice someone silently come and sit next to him. Only when that someone reached out a hand to sort the food he had thrown around back into the pile, did he look up and realize who it was.

“Oh, it’s you, the twin…uh, I mean, Yuuta.” Koga looked away, suddenly ashamed. There was something extraordinarily strange about seeing Yuuta on his own, without Hinata attached to him as they always seemed to be. He couldn’t get used to it. “Sorry I made a mess.”

“It’s okay,” Yuuta responded, picking up the last pack of beef jerky just as he was about to reach for it. “Oogami-senpai, you were really close to Otogari-senpai, weren’t you?”

“They were the very best of buddies,” Rei said with a chuckle, and Koga snarled at him, irritated.

“It must be really sad, then, losing someone close to you,” Yuuta murmured quietly. “And it’s even worse when they left behind something for you…when they sacrificed themselves for something that you think isn’t worth it. You want to blame them. But you can’t. Because by doing that, they’re putting hope in you…And you can’t betray their hope. The best you can do, when something like that happens, is cry a lot…and then try your best to pick yourself back up. Because that’s what they want you to do.”

“You’re…” Koga looked at the younger twin with wide eyes. “…you’re saying almost the same things the vampire bastard said.”

“Oh, am I?” Yuuta drew back, surprised. “Yikes, am I sounding like an old man? I guess there’s still a little bit of Sakuma-senpai left in me from the talent fiasco.”

“But Aoi-kun says it better than I do,” Rei smiled. “That’s right, that’s what Adonis-kun was trying to give us—hope. What a fresh and vitalizing word. I ought to take a page from Aoi-kun’s book from now on.”

“Hope…” Koga repeated the word, feeling its unfamiliarity roll over his mouth. “But what sort of hope? What hope could we possibly have?”

“If we have time, then we have a chance,” said Rei. “We now have a few more days where we can formulate a last-resort plan to survive.”

“—You mean, like an escape mission or something?” Yuuta blurted out.

Rei stared at him. “An escape mission…that is a daring thought. What makes you think—“

“Nothing. It’s nothing!” Yuuta waved his hands quickly. “I was just blurting out whatever came to mind.”

“We should do it,” Koga said, standing up. “Use everything that we can and make a last ditch effort to get the fuck out of here! Everything else is already lost—if there’s even a sliver of a chance to get back home, I’ll take it!”

“Hold on, Doggie.” Rei considered. “This isn’t a proposition to be taken lightly. You know it’s dangerous. If we attempt to leave the island, the bear—the _bears_ , as we have all seen—will come after us.”

“So what? If we stay put, we’ll die anyway!”

“Yeah, uh, Oogami-senpai…” Yuuta said hurriedly, “There’s no way we can escape with all of us! I didn’t really mean it when I said it, you know.”

“Well, I sure do.”

“We don’t have the proper materials to escape,” Rei pointed out. “After all, everything has been destroyed.”

“We’ll salvage whatever we can from the wreckage, yeah?” Koga said. “There’s got to be some stuff out there that we can use. In fact, I’ll go up there right now and look—“

A hand grabbed onto his sleeve as he was about to move. “No, Oogami-senpai.”

Yuuta was looking at him with an extremely serious—and something else—was it sad? Resigned? _Guilty?_ —expression. The shadows that passed over the first-year’s face in that moment struck him speechless. “Don’t go. There’s nothing else out there you can use, so there’s no point in looking.”

Koga looked down, at Yuuta’s clothes, and realized he had dust all over his pants and his hands. “…What, you’ve been digging through the rubble? Is that how you know?”

“……” Yuuta kept his head down. 

Koga took a deep breath. Really, he was getting quite sick of all this.

“Even if there’s nothing left out there, we have to try! There’s no other choice, okay?! What else do you wanna do, stay here and accept death? What happened to all that talk about hope? Huh, vampire bastard? Are you giving up hope?”

“I am advising against doing things rashly,” said Rei calmly, “simply for the reason that whenever someone makes a rash decision, it typically does not turn out well for them in the end, as we have all seen.”

Koga fell silent for just a few moments, and then shook his head fiercely.

“To hell with that. Before, we had all the time we needed in the world to think about what to do. But now we don’t. If we don’t move _now_ , our food is gonna run out and we’ll die. Do you want that?”

“It’s also possible…” Rei murmured, “that someone will carry out a murder.”

“What?”

“The bear has given us one clear way to escape: killing someone. Under an extreme situation like this, it’s far from likely that we will all trust each other enough to bond together and carry out an escape plan. It’s much more likely that one person will turn to murder.”

“Shut up!” Koga snapped. “I don’t wanna hear anything like that right now.”

“Why are you—“

_“This isn’t what Adonis gave his life for!”_

Rei fell silent; Yuuta merely stood watching, his face white. Koga crumpled down next to the pile of food again, burying his head in his arms. “…That guy believed in peace and friendship over everything. There’s no way he’d give himself up just for us to kill each other. He’d feel horrible if we did! He’s just that kind of guy!”

“Doggie…”

“So, I mean, for the sake of Adonis—no—all three of them, I guess…We have to try and survive without killing each other. They gave this chance to us, so we have to use it right. Isn’t that what you’ve been saying, vampire bastard?” Koga addressed Rei resentfully. “Whenever I think of Adonis…I feel like there was just one thought in his head, when he stayed behind in the earthquake.”

Koga bent over the food, eyeing the pitiful packages of beef jerky laid out in front of them. “ _‘I want them to get out, and eat better meat than these dry meat packs.’_ That Adonis would have thought something like that! And whenever I think of that, I just feel like…we have to make it happen. He’d be so happy if we could eat some good kebabs again, all of us…”

Try as he might, he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing out. He swore to himself then, that if they got out, he’d eat a hundred kebabs in his good friend’s name. And he’d absolutely fucking follow through with it.

 

\--

 

"What's this? An escape?"

Ritsu frowned deeply. This was new.

“Think about it. It’s our last chance!” Koga slammed a fist on the table they were gathered around, addressing the five members of Class 2-B with the most aggressive passion Ritsu had ever heard in his voice—and that was saying a lot. “If we want to get out with everyone alive, there’s no other choice. If we wait, we’ll all just starve to death here!”

“Nnah~ Don’t say scary stuff like that,” Mika shuddered. “We still have plenty of food, right? There’s a whole stockpile of food now…We won’t starve t’ death if we make it last longer…”

“But Mika-chan, sweetie,” Arashi cut in, “You know that not eating enough can also ruin your health, even if it can make the food last longer, right? You’ve been eating nothing more than a few bread crumbs every day. It’s really dangerous…Nee-chan is worried for you, you know?”

“It’s okay! I’m fine, Naru-chan,” Mika smiled gently. “I want to save as much food as I can for Oshi-san, after all. I’ve been through it before, when Valkyrie was low on funds, an’ all~ I can survive even if I eat just a little. If I’m hungry, I can jus’ sleep through it, like Ritsu-kun~ Right?” He gave Ritsu, sitting on his right, a small nudge.

“Huh~? I don’t know, it doesn’t have anything to do with me. Yeah, I sleep a lot, but it’s not for the same reason.” Ritsu replied without lifting his head from the table, where he was dozing off. 

Actually, he hadn't had as much liberty to sleep lately, since Mao wasn't around to wake him up anymore. So he'd been trying to shift his sleep schedule back into the night, as hard as it was. It left him often tired and cranky.

“Hey, hey! Are you guys listening?” Koga interrupted them. “Stop getting off track. What I was _saying_ was, if we don’t want to starve to death, we have to find a way to get off this damn island!”

“Hmm,” said Yuzuru, leaning in. “And how do you think we should go about that, Oogami-sama? You do know that, if we decide to leave, the bear will launch an attack on all of us.”

“We’ll figure out some way out of it! The vampire bastard is thinking about a way to do it as we speak, and he’s never wrong!”

“Anija is?” Ritsu looked up.

“Yeah, you bet he is,” Koga said proudly. “I talked to him earlier, and he agreed that escaping is the best option right now.”

“Idiot.” Ritsu spat out that word, and then rolled his head to one side.

“Oh, my,” Arashi regarded him with a concerned expression. “Ritsu-chan, are you upset about something?”

“No. Anija is always an idiot, anyway.”

“……” Arashi looked as if he was about to say something more, but Yuzuru interrupted him.

“My apologies, Oogami-sama. I cannot agree to a plan that doesn’t seem workable in the first place. Right now, it seems to me that you are grasping at straws. There is a very high chance that instead of surviving, we will all perish instead. Instead of risking the lives of _everyone_ , I think there’s a much simpler path to take.”

“An’ what’s that?” Mika asked curiously.

“It’s easy. _Two people will be sacrificed_.” Yuzuru folded his hands under his chin, smiling pleasantly. “One person will murder another, and then give himself up at the trial. If everything goes smoothly, the earthquakes and everything connected to it will cease, and we will move on to the next stage of the killing game, having only lost two of our people.” He paused, glanced around the room, and then lowered his voice. “…And I’m sure there are a few among us that we would all agree are better off dead. That _Tenshouin_ , for instance…if we all vote unanimously to have him removed, he will have no room to struggle at all.”

“S-So we can get rid of him?” Mika’s eyes went wide. “An’ we won’t be punished for it?”

“Wait, wait, hold on!” Arashi hurriedly said. “I don’t really like where this is going! It’s not that I can’t see your logic, Yuzuru-chan, but I’m a pacifist, okay? I don’t want things to get all bloody. Besides, I don’t want to get caught up in _your_ personal revenge plan under the name of protecting everyone. Mika-chan, too, don’t get swayed, okay? Murder is _never_ the answer!”

“It’s not murder,” Yuzuru replied. “It’s an entirely peaceful, democratic decision. We are giving up some of us for the greater benefit.”

“No! No way! That’s just plain sick and twisted!” Koga snapped. “You’re playing right to that bear’s rhythm! What are you, the traitor or something?!”

“Nnah~ Don’t shout so loud…” Mika shrunk back in his seat. “I don’t know who to listen to anymore…”

“I am not the traitor,” said Yuzuru, narrowing his eyes. “I care about one thing, and that is _getting rid of Tenshouin_. After that is accomplished, what happens in the killing game is of no matter to me.”

“My, Yuzuru-chan, you’re so cold…” Arashi sighed. “Why can’t the world be just a little bit more full of warmth, happiness and love?”

“So…Yuzu-kun,” Ritsu sat up a little, propping his head on one hand. “Lemme get it all straight. You’re saying all of us should decide on two people that we want to ‘sacrifice’, and one of them’ll murder the other. That way we’ll be able to move to the next level of the game.”

“Precisely. I’m glad you’re able to understand so quickly, Sakuma-sama.”

“You do know that everyone won’t unanimously vote on Ecchan?”

“If they don’t, it’s a shame, but I do not particularly mind. This is still our best option for moving forward.”

“And if they vote on _you_ instead?”

“I won’t let that happen.” Yuzuru smiled.

“Augh—it drives me crazy listening to you guys!” Koga barked. “Look, even if you do the ‘sacrifice’ and move on, the school’s still destroyed! There’ll be nowhere else to go! Things won’t get better!”

“No, Corgi,” said Ritsu calmly. “Things _will_ get better.”

“What?”

“If I were the mastermind, what would I want from this?” Ritsu looked Koga straight in the eyes. “I want the killing game to go on, of course. If we carry out a murder and nothing changes—if we’re still at a dead end—what’ll that tell us? That murder does nothing to change things. If that happens, we’ll have no reason to carry out _any_ more murders. But Kirakuma doesn’t want that. In order to keep us killing each other, he’ll have to show us that things _can_ get better. And I think he has the power to do it. He already showed us that he can cause earthquakes—I’m pretty sure he has a way to fix the school. That bear’s power is far stronger than any of us can imagine.”

“A-And how do _you_ know the mastermind’s plans so clearly? Huh?” Koga stuttered, pointing a finger at Ritsu. “You’re acting really shady right now, you know that?”

Ritsu shrugged. “I think it’s pretty obvious.”

“Hold on, Ritsu-chan,” said Arashi, holding out a hand in concern. “You’re not serious, are you, dear? You really think we should solve this by murdering someone?”

“Maybe we should,” Ritsu smiled. “It’s better than trying to run away.”

“No, it’s not,” Koga snapped. “Adonis wouldn’t have wanted that, and I bet neither would your Maa-kun!”

In an instant, Ritsu stood swiftly and grabbed hold of Koga’s collar, jerking him across the table like a dog.

“Don’t you dare talk about _my_ Maa-kun.”

“Wha—“ Koga gasped, shocked by Ritsu’s sudden action and the deathly gleam in his eyes. 

“I swore! I swore on the day Maa-kun died that I would take revenge for him. I won’t go back on that promise! So I’ll be the one to beat Kirakuma. I’ll find and kill the mastermind. And that’s not going to happen if we run away!” Ritsu gritted his teeth. “Escaping? That’s the obvious option, the coward’s option. You don’t think the mastermind has predicted it already? You think we can beat him if we try? That’s stupid.” 

He let go of Koga, flinging him down. “I used to run away from a lot of things. I’d leave if I found things troublesome. But when Maa-kun saw me during the earthquake that day, he could have run away. _He didn’t._ He stayed. So I’m also staying.”

“Ritsu-chan…” Arashi reached out a hand, but faltered in his speech.

“Does that mean you agree with my plan to sacrifice two students?” Yuzuru asked.

Ritsu considered. “No. It’s unlikely that everyone will be able to decide on two sacrifices. Things will probably get even worse if we fight over it.”

“Th-Then what do you think we should do?” Mika asked, frightened.

Ritsu smiled lazily, planting his face back on the table. “I know my best strategy for the moment, of course…but it doesn’t have anything to do with any of you. So I’m not obligated to say anything.”

He turned away, tuning out his classmates’ protests. He was feeling drowsy again, but he resisted the urge to sleep, since he had to be alert and observant if he wanted to succeed in his plan. Maa-kun wouldn’t be there to help him anymore. But that was okay. If Mao had been the one to protect him like a spoiled brat all his life, then just this once, he’d stand up like an adult and fend for himself, and for Mao’s sake.

“…I’ll have to have a word with Anija at some point,” he murmured under his breath.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rei standing, across the room, looking in his direction. Their eyes met for only a brief moment, but in that instant, both of them knew what the other was thinking. Perhaps that was what it meant to be brothers, but Ritsu would rather not think about that. He closed his eyes, envisioning the chessboard expanding endlessly in front of him, wondering how he should move his pieces.

 

\--

 

That night, in Room 1, a string stretched tautly between two closed doors.

Each end of the string was connected to a cup. Each cup was held in a hand, one of the cups pressed to a mouth, the other to an ear.

The figure holding one of the cups opened his mouth to speak.

“It is a good thing that Itsuki-kun told us to bring the cups and string, no?”

The figure holding the other cup responded.

“You’re right. He’s careful and detailed in his thinking as always! If we were to have this conversation elsewhere, there’d always be a danger of someone listening in.”

“Sometimes I marvel—humans have developed such complex technology, but in times like these, the simplest communication tool yields us the best results.”

“Yes, yes, isn’t it quite Amazing☆? We ought to revive the cup-phone movement throughout the world! It’ll be a wonderful fashion statement, too!”

A chuckle, barely audible. “Anyway, what might be the topic you wished so fervently to talk to me, in private, about?”

“That’s right.” The voice on the other end became far more serious. “…Allow me to guide your memory for a moment. You remember the last Class Trial, yes?”

“I am an old man, and my memory isn’t perfect, but yes, I remember it approximately.”

“Approximately is well enough. Do you remember what I used to expose Mikejima-kun as the murderer?”

“If my memory does not fail me…It was a pigeon, correct? You claim he had tamed it.”

“That’s right, that’s right. It was one of my pigeons. Now, the peculiar thing is—many days ago, I had sent out two pigeons, releasing them from the front gate of the school to search for land that may lay beyond.”

“So it had returned, and Mikejima-kun found it?”

“Yes. But, do you remember where he stated he found it? _On the grounds, at the back of the school._ If I released the pigeon at the front gate, and told it to fly straight, how could it possibly end up there?”

“……Are you certain there wasn’t some sort of mistake?”

“You know me. You know how well I train my pigeons.”

“But if we assume that is all true…what might it mean?”

“You are better at this sort of deduction than I am, I must admit. But—if I were to make a wild guess—I think it may be part of a certain trap, meant to lock us within the island, never to escape. Anyone who attempts to leave the island is forced to turn back. Which is why I sought you out today, in a hurry. I overheard you and your adorable club members speaking about an escape from the island. I fear it’s far more difficult than you may think.”

There was a great silence from the other end of the cup phone. When the response came at last, its tone was solemn.

“…I have heard that if one attempts to walk in a vast expanse of desert with nothing to guide themselves, they will end up walking in circles, returning to the point at which they started, without ever realizing it. Whether this applies for pigeons as well, I cannot say. But it is not hard to imagine the mastermind may implement something that is disorienting as such. Something as a continual gust of wind may be enough to cause a constant tilting of direction, enough to form a circle over time. Moreover…you said you had sent out _two_ pigeons. Where is the second?”

“The second has disappeared. I haven’t seen it since.”

“That, my friend, is even more worrying.”

“……”

“This is evidence enough that there is something else out there, something that is intercepting any form of escape. If they had the power and resources to bring us all here, they certainly have all the security measures needed to keep us in.”

“Your thoughts match mine. That’s why I’d say an escape mission is too difficult.”

A pause. “I’ll keep it in mind. In fact, earlier, Ritsu said something similar.”

“Oh? It’s quite rare that your brother would willingly speak to you!”

“…Do not make fun of an old man’s sorrows. Anyway, he told me to forget about an escape plan entirely. He told me to do nothing but lie low and wait. …Honestly, I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“But he is a shrewd child. He probably knows the reason behind his choice.”

“I suppose. But if we do not have an escape, then what now? I am loathe to remain passive when we are in a crisis such as this.”

“…Tell me, if this were a play, it would be a tragedy, wouldn’t it?”

“Most likely.”

“And we’ve already lived through far too many tragedies in the past. Being a survivor of tragedies as such, you must know—sometimes it is futile to resist the currents of the script that we have all been swept into. If the playwright so wishes, then we have no choice but to play the parts of the pitiful sacrifices. Isn’t that just as well? To be part of a brilliant tragedy.”

“Your understanding of the dramaturgy of life is far too profound…sometimes I don’t understand. Is it really alright to always throw yourself at the foot of the story you are a part of?”

“As Shakespeare said, all the world’s a stage, and I have dedicated myself to playing my role. But this doesn’t mean we should lose sight of hope; because tragedy always comes with a flash of hope, a final, brilliant struggle at the point of no return. Without that hope, a tragedy is not touching. Years ago, when we met our downfall, that hope came in the form of _fine_ , and later, it belonged to Trickstar. It will appear in the hands of those who had been assigned main character.”

“Do you think we’ll see this hope again?”

“I think we’ll be able to witness it soon. Until then, why not trust your little brother? Join me in sitting back and watching the show unfold before our eyes.”

 

\--

 

They were running as fast as they could, but the giant fire-breathing dragon was still right on their tails.

“Go forward! Faster! Faster!” Mitsuru yelled, bouncing up and down out of excitement. 

“Wait—can’t you tell it’s a trap?” Tomoya protested. “There are more enemies waiting in front! Quick, take a detour while there’s still time!”

“Running from the enemy? That’s not very knight-like!” said Tsukasa. “I say we should face it down with a fair and honest battle.”

“Umm, I don’t think that’s how it works?” Yuuta said. “Aah! It almost got you! Dodge!”

“W-We’re almost surrounded!” cried Hajime. “There’s the dragon behind us and the wolves that are in front…What should we do?”

“HuHu~♪ Don’t worry!” Sora declared. “This is a piece of cake for Sora. All of you can just watch~!”

With a confident grin on his face, he pressed a combination of buttons on the game console he was holding, his fingers moving so quickly that Mitsuru couldn’t keep track of them. As all the first-years watched in wide-eyed fascination, he controlled the brave knight to leap over several of the wolves in front of them, and then making a speedy right turn to move away.

“Woo-hoo! You go, Sora-chan!” Mitsuru pumped his fists in the air, cheering.

“HeHe~ That was easy!” Sora smiled up at the other first-years crowded around him, while simultaneously tapping the controls to guide the knight further down the map. “Sora has cleared this game three times already, and there are way harder chase scenes after this~!”

“Wait, look out!” Hajime said, pointing to the screen. “It’s back!”

“Huh?” Sora turned his eyes back to the screen to realize the dragon had made its way around several obstacles and was closing in on the poor knight. This time, though, he had nowhere to run—they had reached the end of the map, while the dragon forced them closer and closer to the corner.

“What are you gonna do, Sora-chan?” Mitsuru leaned in to the screen anxiously. “Even if you dash, dash, there’s nowhere to go, yanno~”

“No worries! Check this out!” Sora said, pushing a few more buttons. The knight, under his expert control, charged full-speed toward the edge of the screen…where it disappeared, and then reappeared on the other edge of the screen, fully intact, still running in the same direction.

“Whoa! How did you do that?” Tomoya asked.

“HaHa~ There’s no such thing as running out of places to run in this game~” Sora explained, keeping his eyes glued on the screen. “The map is infinite, see~ It’s just that if you run off of one edge, you’ll immediately get sent to the opposite edge! Everything is connected, HaHiHuHeHo~♪”

“Huh…” Tsukasa stared, wide-eyed. “I’ve never heard of something like that before! This game really is fascinating!”

“Right? It’s super fun~ Ah, whoops!” Sora fumbled to manipulate the character again. “Unfortunately, the dragon can follow us over here~ Better keep running!”

“So the top is connected to the bottom…” Yuuta commented, watching Sora play. “But how are we going to get rid of the dragon if it keeps chasing us like this?”

“You mean we can’t dash, dash our way out of it?” Mitsuru asked.

“Hmm~ You’re right, we can’t,” said Sora. “Oh, Sora knows! We have to lay a trap, and then lead the dragon into it~That’ll get rid of him! Here, if we use one of our items in our bag…”

“A trap?” said Yuuta, intrigued. “That sounds fun…Hey, can I try?”

Sora looked up, his eyes sparkling. “Of course Yuu-chan can try! Here you go~” He paused the game and handed it to Yuuta. “HeHe~ Sora was worried that Yuu-chan seemed so sad all the time, so it’s a relief that Yuu-chan is able to have fun with us~”

“Ahaha,” Yuuta laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m alright now…Hanging out with you guys is really fun. I really wish we can all keep playing games like this with each other, forever…”

Mitsuru detected a twinge of sorrow in Yuuta’s voice, and was about to say something, but he was interrupted by another voice calling out to him.

“Mitsuru-chin, Tomo-chin, Hajime-chin. What are you guys doing?”

He looked up and saw their unit leader, Nazuna, standing over them, his arms crossed. Mitsuru flashed a bright grin. “We’re playing games with Sora-chan, yanno~”

“Hello, Nito-senpai~” Sora waved at Nazuna cheerily. “When you see your senpai you should greet them~!”

“Good boy,” Nazuna nodded, and then turned back to his unitmates. “Can I talk to the three of you real quick?”

“Sure thing, Nii-chan,” said Tomoya, jumping off the sofa. Mitsuru and Hajime followed suit, leaving Sora, Yuuta, and Tsukasa to the game.

“We have to talk in private,” said Nazuna as he hustled the three first-years across the lounge and into Room 6, their “special room”, and then closed the door firmly behind them.

“What is it, Nii-chan?” Hajime asked worriedly.

“Listen up. Did any of you come in the special room between last night and today?” Nazuna addressed them, his face dead serious.

“Come in here?” Mitsuru wondered out loud. He rummaged through his memories; he had eaten bread and gone to bed early last night. This morning, he had gotten up early, ran around to release some energy (waking everyone else up in the process), ate more bread, and not long after that, settle down with the other first-years to play video games. “…Nope, I haven’t, yanno~”

“I haven’t either,” said Tomoya.

“Neither have I,” Hajime shook his head.

Nazuna frowned. Clearly, this wasn’t the response he was hoping for. “…Well, I haven’t either, but I’m sure of it—someone’s been in this room.”

“What?” All three first-years gasped.

“You see,” Nazuna said, pointing at the screen and control panel at the front of the room. “Last time I came in here was yesterday afternoon. Today, I came back in here again, and I realized that someone had been using the listening system.”

“The listening system?” Tomoya tensed immediately. “How do you know?”

“Because it was left on,” explained Nazuna. “Look, the screen here is lit up, and it displays the number 01 on it…I’m sure I turned it off after I used it, and the last time it was on, we listened to Room 5, not Room 1, right? I’m positive—someone used this place in the time that we weren’t here.”

“No way…” said Hajime.

Nazuna nodded grimly. “I want you to answer me again honestly—are you three _positive_ that you didn’t use the room?”

“Positive,” said all three of them together. 

“Well…” Nazuna held a hand to his forehead and paced the room. “This is not good.”

“What are the possibilities?” Tomoya asked. “Did someone steal the map with the access codes written on it?”

“No, I kept it with me at all times,” said Nazuna. “Even when I was sleeping, I hid it under my pillow.”

“Then it doesn’t make sense…” Hajime put a finger to his chin. “No one should be able to come here except us.”

“No, it’s not just us, yanno!” Mitsuru chimed in. “I bet _the mastermind_ can come in here, too! Since he’s the mastermind, he should know everything, right?”

Both Tomoya and Nazuna paused to stare at him. Mitsuru blinked. “…What? Did I say something wrong?”

“No,” said Tomoya. “…I’m just surprised. Idiot Mitsuru actually came up with a really good point.”

“I’m not as dumb as you guys think I am!” Mitsuru pouted.

“Well, maybe it’s the mastermind who came in,” Nazuna said, and then shuddered. “That doesn’t make me feel better. Why was he listening in on us? Besides…there’s been weirder things happening, and none of them give me a good feeling.”

“What weirder things?” Hajime asked.

“Well…” Nazuna took a deep breath. “When I was in here earlier yesterday, I used the ‘SPACES’ function to look at the underground layer. The one that displays everyone’s locations—here,” he said, pressing a button on the control panel. A map of the underground opened immediately, displaying a number of moving blue dots, each representing a person.

“This was after we lost Tetora-chin, Adonis-chin and Souma-chin,” Nazuna continued, “So just to make sure, I counted the number of remaining dots. But here’s the weird thing: there’s supposed to be 25 of us left. But no matter how many times I counted then, I could only see 24 dots. One dot was missing.”

“Missing…?” Tomoya frowned.

“Yeah. It’s like there was a _person_ missing. It really concerned me, and I wondered if someone had gone outside or something…And I went outside and looked all around the school, but I couldn’t find anyone. Then, I came back to this room, and somehow there were 25 dots again.”

Hajime looked at the screen and counted to himself. “Yes, there are 25 dots right now, Nii-chan.”

“But—I could’ve sworn I counted 24 dots over and over!”

“That’s weird…” Tomoya said.

“Maybe someone was outside, and you just didn’t find them, yanno?” Mitsuru suggested.

“Maybe…”

“Nii-chan,” Tomoya said, his brows furrowed. “When you took the elevator to go outside, do you remember—did the elevator doors open _immediately_ after you pressed the button, or did you wait for it?”

“Umm…” Nazuna considered. “I’m pretty sure they opened immediately. Why?”

“See…If someone went up by the elevator and didn’t come back down yet, then the elevator would have _stopped_ at the upper level, right?” Tomoya explained, his countenance growing more and more uneasy. “So if you pressed the button, you should have waited for the elevator to _come down_ first. But the doors opened immediately, which means the elevator was still here, on the lower level. _No one took the elevator up.”_

“What could it all mean?” Nazuna groaned. “One person disappearing from the underground level…but they didn’t take the elevator?”

“It might be the mastermind again,” said Hajime. “Maybe they have a secret passage we don’t know about.”

“Maybe…” said Nazuna. “…Let’s hope it doesn’t mean anything bad, then.”

“It’s okay,” Tomoya put a hand on Nazuna’s shoulder. “This is still a safe place for us. Even if the mastermind knows things that we don’t, he won’t actively come and kill us…he hasn’t done it before, so why would he start now?”

“I guess you’re right,” the leader of Ra*bits nodded. “…You’ve grown so much more reliable in a flash, Tomo-chin.”

“H-Have I?” Tomoya reddened.

“You have. All of you have.” Nazuna smiled, gathering his three unitmates into a group embrace. “Nii-chan is proud of you. But don’t take on too much by yourselves. Nii-chan will still be here to take care of the difficult stuff, okay? For now, go back to your game and have fun.”

“You sure, Nii-chan?” Mitsuru asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

So they left their Nii-chan in the room to ruminate on his own, and made their way back to the lounge, where the other three first-years were still gathered on the couch. Yuuta looked up when he saw them approaching.

“Ah~ You guys are too late,” he said with a sheepish smile.

“What? What did we miss?” Mitsuru asked, jumping to his classmate’s side.

Yuuta held up the console, which had “GAME OVER” promptly displayed on the screen in big red letters. “I’m too bad at this, I guess~ I couldn’t dodge the dragon as well as Harukawa-kun could, so I got eaten up before I even finished setting up the trap. It’s harder than it looks~ Mitsuru-kun, you wanna try?”

 

\--

 

Late that night, Keito found Kuro sitting alone in the lounge.

The red-haired third-year had his back to him. He was at the center table, looking intently at something he placed on the table while a lone lightbulb over him flickered. Keito moved forward, knowing quite well what he was looking at.

“Are you keeping vigil to this hour, Kiryu?”

Kuro turned, not especially surprised. “Hasumi no Danna. So you’re still awake.”

“I’ve pulled enough all-nighters in my time that it shouldn’t be surprising.”

“Heh.” Kuro smiled briefly, before assuming a serious expression once again. “I feel like I have a duty to stay here with them.”

“Hm.” Keito moved to where Kuro was sitting. He could see now. Propped up on the table were three hand-drawn portraits, perfectly capturing the likeness of the three who had once been among them: Tetora, Souma, and Adonis.

“I still haven’t thanked you, have I?” Kuro said. “For drawing these.”

Keito pushed up his glasses. “Don’t worry about it. I did it because I wanted to, as well.”

“It’s a pity we haven’t got any real photos of them. I would’ve liked to set up a real memorial. But these also serve the purpose well.”

“I’m glad.” Keito gazed toward the portraits lined up on the table. It was last night that Kuro had come up to him, asking for portraits of his juniors, Tetora and Souma—something to remember them by. They left nothing, Kuro had said with a sad expression; there wasn’t even anything that could be salvaged from their bodies, since they were forever trapped under the rubble, and it seems even Kirakuma wasn’t able to dig them out. He had gone to the morgue to check, and even though there were three new coffins bearing their names, the insides of the coffins were empty.

Keito had gladly obliged, spending most of his day composing the portraits, trying as best he could to capture every detail from memory. He completed portraits for Tetora and Souma, and then drew Adonis as well because it didn’t feel right to leave him out. He drew them as they were in life, young, lively, a spark in their eyes and a smile that looked forward to the future, just as he remembered so many people were pictured in the funerals that his family had conducted.

“They shouldn’t have died so young,” he said.

Kuro nodded, his expression pained. “It’s my fault. As their senpai, I should have stopped them from going on the quest, but my confidence in them got ahead of me. I was too proud of their growth. I told myself they were good enough to go on their own…but I was wrong. I should have been the one to go.”

Keito laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Do not blame yourself. I am also to blame, for not realizing how dangerous the situation really was and letting the plan pass through in the first place.”

“The world is cruel, Hasumi. It’s not right for the old to mourn the young.” Kuro hefted a sigh. “I regret it immensely—I should have been there to protect them, and yet I did nothing. Instead, Tetsu led the plan, and Kanzaki took my place…What sort of pitiful senpai am I, if I end up getting protected by my juniors?”

“If you had gone instead of them, you would not be here now, Kiryu.”

“They deserve life more than I do. What purpose do I have in staying? I did nothing but hurt people in the past. They’re innocent. They have bright futures ahead of them.”

“That doesn’t mean their lives are more valuable than yours,” said Keito. “Personally, I believe that all lives are equal. No matter what one has done in the past, there is always a chance for repentance, and a brighter life to follow. Life is precious, and death carries the same weight for all. So do not look down on your own life. It is a life that your juniors respected and protected. Honor them for that.”

“Spare me the lecture,” Kuro chuckled. “I guess I should expect no less from the man who witnessed death all his life.”

“I have grown to find peace with death,” said Keito calmly. “It will claim all of us eventually.”

“You think it’ll come for us soon, too, then?”

“Perhaps,” Keito replied. “So we should make the most of every moment that we live. Brooding on past experiences will not help, so try to leave your regrets behind when facing the future.”

“Heh. I s’ppose you’re right, Hasumi no Danna,” Kuro said with a sad smile. “But at least for tonight, I want to stay with them.”

“I understand.”

“…You’re not gonna leave?”

“I’ll stay until you do.”

Kuro nodded in silent gratitude, and turned back toward the portraits. Keito closed his eyes and offered up a silent Buddhist prayer for the three that they lost. Certainly, death was inevitable, but only a fool would say it wasn’t painful. Briefly, he wondered what would become of Akatsuki now that their one and only successor had disappeared from the stage.

Perhaps they would simply fall apart like flower petals and vanish in the wind. A silent but graceful exeunt, gradually fading from all memory and from all history. For a unit like them, formed only for one cruel reason, perhaps it was for the best…

_click_

Keito jumped, his thoughts jerked back to reality. Did he just hear something?

_click click_

This time Kuro looked up, too, startled. There was definitely a sound.

“Kiryu. Did you hear that?”

“So it wasn’t just me. What is it though? There’s no one but us here, right?” Kuro frowned in apprehension.

“It sounded like it was really close to us…” Keito looked around them carefully. And then—

_click_

Keito blinked. “Kiryu.”

“What?”

“I—I must be seeing things.”

“Tell me what it is.”

Keito pointed at the center of the table, where Kirakuma’s tile game was set into the surface. “Did that tile game…just move by itself?”

“You kidding?”

Keito shook his head. He took off his glasses, wiped them on his shirt, and then put them on again. “I could’ve sworn I saw—“

_click click_

Both men gasped in surprise. This time, there was no denying it—the tiles had just moved _entirely on their own_. In just a few strokes, the tiles had moved from a messy pattern to the image they were meant to form—Kirakuma’s face, grinning out at them.

“Wh-What could this mean?” Keito nearly tripped over himself as he backed away.

“Ghosts?” Kuro suggested.

“Do not be silly!”

“Well, I’ve got no idea.” Kuro shrugged. “Maybe we’re both hallucinating.”

Keito rubbed his head. “I must be tired. I don’t know what’s happening anymore.”

“You want to go back, then?”

Keito hesitated. “In a moment.”

He took a deep breath and looked back at the tile game. Under the flickering light of the lone bulb above them, Kirakuma’s face grew more and more ominous, as if it was seeing straight through them, and it was laughing.

 

\--

 

The next morning, Mitsuru woke up early like usual.

To be honest, ever since coming to the underground, one of the things he missed the most was being able to see the bright sunshine shining in every morning. Seeing the sun helped him start the day with energy and a smile. He was surprised that he was always the first one up even without the sun, because he always thought it was the sun who woke him.

He sat up in his bed and stretched, preparing to go out and run around the open space of Room 3 as he did every morning. Except this morning, he stopped cold.

He was looking directly at one corner of his small bedroom. Something was there.

_No, not something…That’s…_

Horror washed over him in an instant. If before this he never comprehended the expressions “blood gone cold” and “mind went blank”, he knew now. He kept staring at _it_ , wishing it was fake, wishing this was all a dream. But _it_ was still there, it wasn’t going away, why was it here, what had happened, he didn’t know—and as his heart beat frantically sending his consciousness ever closer to a pure white of panic, all of these thoughts culminated into one:

_Run._

He tore out of his bedroom, faster than his legs had ever carried him, and was slamming the heavy door of Room 3 behind him before he even knew it.

 

\--

 

Midori woke to a huge, reverberating sound that felt like it echoed throughout every one of his bones. If he had to describe it, it was like the sound of the sky crashing down or something.

He groaned, turning over in his bed. An earthquake? He could have sworn the ground was shaking, but right now it wasn’t anymore. He rubbed sleepiness from his eyes, slowly realizing that whatever made that sound, it was probably something very bad.

—Honestly, if it _were_ an earthquake, he wouldn’t mind.

He rolled out of bed and walked out into the open space of Room 3. He could see all the other residents of Room 3 emerging from their individual quarters as well: there was Shinobu, jumping out in alarm like a frightened animal; Keito, hurrying to put on his glasses; and Kuro, who had black circles under his eyes for some reason. Only four people. Of course, two among their midst were gone already, but that left one more…

Mitsuru, Midori realized with a start. The _dash-dash_ boy wasn’t there.

“Any idea what that huge sound was?” Keito addressed the group.

Everyone shook their heads. The Vice President’s expression went serious. “For now, gather in Room 5! We need to investigate what the cause of the sound was.”

At that, Midori was about to move toward the door, but Shinobu ran over and grabbed his arm.

“Midori-kun! Umm, do you know where Tenma-kun is?”

Midori shrugged. “…Maybe in his room?”

“Usually, Tenma-kun should be up by now, right?” Shinobu replied, his expression growing concerned. “Can we check on him? It’s not like him to not be here, de gozaru…”

Midori nodded. It’s not like he had anything to lose.

The two boys walked toward the bedroom assigned to Mitsuru, and Midori realized immediately that the door was left a little ajar. A strong feeling of foreboding rose up inside him as Shinobu first knocked on the door, and then, upon receiving no response, pushed it open.

“Tenma-kun? Are you in—“

Shinobu stopped right in his tracks, causing Midori, who was following him, to almost trip over him.

“Shinobu-kun? What are you…”

And then he saw.

In the corner of the room, there was a broken human figure. Sitting with his head against one wall, covered in faded dark red, skin pale, lifeless. Green eyes. Orange hair that reached his shoulders.

Shinobu was trembling. “Y-Y-Y-Y-Yu-Yu—“ he sputtered.

“Yuuta-kun?” Midori finished for him.

The little ninja let out a shriek of horror and despair.

 

\--

 

Nazuna woke to a huge, reverberating sound that felt like it echoed throughout every one of his bones. If he had to describe it, it was like the sound of a thunderclap that happened within the ground or something.

He was out of bed instantly, all of his danger alarms going off, wondering what might have caused the huge crash. No, it wasn’t an earthquake—that was strange. He quickly opened the door to his bedroom and looked outside.

Everyone else in Room 7 seems to have woken as well—he could see, emerging from their rooms, the distinct figures of Mika, Shu, Sora, Natsume, Tsumugi, and Yuuta.

“What was that cacophonous noise?” Shu snapped, obviously quite irate.

“It sounded like a crash,” Nazuna responded immediately. “We need to know if any of the structures in the underground were damaged. This room looks fine, so let’s move out, quickly, to the center room!”

He hustled everyone out there in the blink of an eye, passing through Room 8, which looked normal enough. From the other side of the room, a lone figure pushed open the door leading to Room 9, and ran out. It was a very frightened-looking Hajime.

“Hajime-chin! Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay…” Hajime replied, out of breath. “I just heard a really loud noise, so I came out to see what it was…”

“So Room 9 is unharmed as well…” Nazuna made a mental note. “Come with us to the center room.”

They entered Room 5, where several other students were already gathered, looking quite anxious. Upon seeing Nazuna walk into the room, Tomoya, who had come from Room 1, ran forward immediately.

“Nii-chan! What was the noise?”

“I don’t know. Did everything look normal in Rooms 1 and 2?”

“Yeah. We’re not missing any people, either.”

“Room 3 was fine as well,” added Keito.

Just then, the door leading to Room 2 burst open, and Shinobu ran in with tears streaming down his face, with Midori close behind. “It’s terrible! Yu-Yuuta-kun got—“

“Huh?” Yuuta, who was seated right next to the center table, looked up.

“Yuuta-kun?” Shinobu stared at him, incredulous.

“What—Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Yuuta asked.

“Ghost…?” Keito murmured, pushing up his glasses.

“Th-That is…” Shinobu stammered, clearly confused by the turn of events. He was about to go on, but Nazuna interrupted him.

“Guys,” he said. “I think…I found the problem.”

He pointed to the one door on the right, the door leading to Room 6. There was a tiny, almost imperceptible wisp of colored smoke curling out from beneath the door.

Nazuna tried his best to hold himself steady as he approached the door and punched in the code. He squeezed his eyes shut and offered whatever prayer to the gods he could think of.

The heavy steel door swung open.

The smoke attacked them immediately. It was the same colored smoke that Nazuna knew all too well, and he coughed, trying to fan away the haze that was blocking their vision. He realized with a start that it wasn’t just smoke—it was also a dust cloud.

The large support pole at the center of the room had fallen to the ground, leaving piles of rubble and debris strewn across the room. Nazuna felt his heart nearly stop when he realized there was something _under_ the pole. Something that was causing a circle of red to bloom out on the floor.

What was left of the thing under the pole…were two feet sticking out the edge closest to them.

Nazuna sprinted to its side, forcing back tears and utter panic. Tomoya and Hajime joined him, both aghast at the terror of what had happened. As Nazuna searched desperately for a way to move the pole—it was much too large and heavy—Tomoya spoke in a small, quivering voice.

“Nii-chan…I recognize those sneakers. That’s…that’s Mitsuru under there.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The puzzle has been set up...now can you solve it? :D
> 
> The case might be very confusing at first glance, and we'll find out more next chapter, but feel free to guess at the murderer now! I'm very curious as to what you all will make of it :3c
> 
> rip Mitsuru though, he was such a good boy ;_;
> 
> Anyway, as usual follow @dr_es_despair for update announcements and ramblings!


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